


Accidentally In Love

by Ashleopard



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, We all know exactly why we're here, just... cute and sweet, the cutest and sweetest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:07:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 51,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21868738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashleopard/pseuds/Ashleopard
Summary: In order to escape her parents invasive set-ups, Korra told them she was in a relationship. A year has passed and, as Tonraq and Senna eagerly wait to meet their daughter's partner, Korra has to find someone to play the role. Will she and her 'lover' be able to fool her parents for the holidays? And, will they be able to do so, without falling madly in luuurve????????? Rated for language and sexual themes.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 376
Kudos: 1557





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 12/19/19... today marks the five year anniversary since the end of LoK and the beginning of canon korrasami. It's been nice, all. Let's commemorate this by going face-first into some teeth-rotting goodness. 
> 
> Special thinks to Swede, who has been a beta/idea man (as well as great motivation). You know you rock ;) And also a shout out to Nikki and Emma, who always reliably love the korrasami fluff. I hope to see you guys soon!

The group chat was on  _ fire _ .

**wvroofwvroof:** guys stop joking this is srs i need help

**Hot_Guy_OG:** spirits kor calm down… idk why you’re making such a big deal about this. Ur parents arent gonna disown u just cuz you’re single ffs

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** shut UP mako!

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** why don’t you to just go? 

**wvroofwvroof:** oh hell no. my dad would flip if he thought we were dating again. Plus, I love you man but seriously. Never again. 

**Hot_Guy_OG:** ***two

**wvroofwvroof:** DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** Alright fine. But I already told you ive got plans already… did you want me to ask one of opal’s friends??

Korra sighed and let her phone slip onto the arm of the chair beside her. She ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head. How was it that all of her friends were so useless? She needed one fake date - ONE - and this is what she was getting? Pushed off onto a friend of a friend that she probably wouldn’t even like? How was she supposed to fake date a stranger? As far as her parents were concerned, she’d been in a relationship for almost a year now, and there was no way she was going back to the days of them trying to set her up….

She returned to the chat. 

**Hot_Guy_OG:** she doesn’t want a random date dude! Whoever she takes, they’re both going to be staying in the south for like a week. 

**_MechTechToHech_** _is typing…_

Korra let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Asami would have some words of wisdom for them. After all, in a group chat called  **Two and ¾ Braincells** , she was usually the one with the two…

**MechTechToHech:** Hot shot is right. We don’t want her staying with some total creep. It needs to be one of us. 

**Hot_Guy_OG:** You’re right. it’ll have to be me then. 

Korra facepalmed. Ugh. Last thing she wanted was to spend the holiday in a house filled with tension and  _ Mako.  _ But if that was her last option….

**MechTechToHech:** What about me?

Korra’s eyes widened.

**Hot_Guy_OG:** wut

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** SHE SHOWED YOU GO SALAMI

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** ***SAMI

**Hot_Guy_OG:** Uh, no, actually. Because you’re both forgetting one CRUCIAL detail!

**_MechTechToHech has changed their name to SamiSalami_ **

**SamiSalami:** And what would that be, Genius? 

**Hot_Guy_OG:** That Korras not gay! 

Korra scratched her chin. They had a good point… she would have to make a very big statement about herself to her family if she came home with Asami. But then again, between the options of Asami and Mako…. Well, Asami was easy on the eyes. If they had met at the bar and she offered to buy her a drink, it’s not as if Korra would’ve said no. 

**SamiSalami:** I think that’s for Korra to decide. Besides it doesn’t matter if she’s gay, one way or another it’ll get her parents to shut up about her love life once and for all. 

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** As funny as this is, I think we need korras input. 

_ Shit.  _ Korra had been so entranced with the conversation, she had almost forgotten she was a major part in it. 

**wvroofwvroof:** I mean, Ive never come out to them as not gay. Besides, between salami and hotshot, I think id take my chances with sami. I think they would prefer her to mako…

**Hot_Guy_OG:** >:(

**SamiSalami:** Hey don’t hate the players. You’re the one who broke up with her publically and shamefully in 12th grade. It’s not our fault that her parents are naturally inclined to hate your guts. 

**wvroofwvroof:** yeah theyre still really angry abt that btw

She set her phone down and looked around her apartment. It was a small but open one that she had been very lucky to get, considering the biases against renters with large dogs. Aforementioned nuisance was dozing at Korra’s feet, snoring gently with each breath. She was so cute that Korra had to resist taking a picture (the last thing her friends wanted right now was  _ another  _ picture of Naga).

Her phone screen lit up with another message from the group chat. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore it. The ringtone went off as another few messages came in and she groaned.  _ This is it. The curse of technology. Perhaps our elders were right all along... _ She picked it up and was surprised to see that in addition to a long rambling message from Mako, she had a private text from Asami. She swiped the lock screen. 

**SamiSalami:** When are we leaving for your parents house?

**wvroofwvroof:** i’m heading out on Thursday. Supposed to be there for a week or so. Are you sure that youre comfortable with this? 

**SamiSalami:** lol yeah ofc. Way I see it we’re already pretty close anyway. Can’t be too hard. Besides it’s not like i have anywhere else to spend the holidays… sure my employees would enjoy a few extra days of holiday pay ;) 

_ Her employees.  _ Sometimes Korra forgot that Asami was the CEO of a successful business. It hadn’t always been that way but… well, the past is in the past. 

**wvroofwvroof:** oh yea… wait wat do u usually do for the holidays? 

**SamiSalami:** Well there’s always a few bars open in the city. I’m very charitable drunk. 

**wvroofwvroof:** ...thats horrible dude. Im sorry

**SamiSalami:** It’s not like I’m religious anyway Korra. Doesn’t matter now. So we flying down?

**wvroofwvroof:** I was gonna drive and then take a boat. It will take a few extra days but saves a lot of money.

**SamiSalami:** ...how about my holiday gift for you is a plane ride down to the South? 

**wvroofwvroof:** I would say yes but it’s travel season. Theres no way we’re getting plane tickets this late

**SamiSalami:** Lol don’t worry about it. We can just take my plane.I’ll take care of it. 

**wvroofwvroof:** lmao are u my gf or my sugar daddy? 

She didn’t know why her heart pounded when she sent it. Maybe she had crossed the line? Would Asami be okay with that sort of joke since they were supposed to be… well, y’know.

**SamiSalami:** Why can’t I be both ;) 

_ Oh spirits.  _ This was going to be a long trip. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami has agreed to be Korra's 'girlfriend' for the holidays down South, but is Korra really ready for what that will mean to her parents?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect this to get so many comments so quickly... lucky for you all, I have a couple chapters prepared (as I like to do). I am not usually one to post them all at once, but just wanted yall to know that this is NOT going to be a short fic. So far it is planned through about ten chapters, seven of which I have finished. I'm sure we will find a way to drag it out a bit longer... we need room for ALL the fluff! 
> 
> Not sure if I will update tomorrow; we will see if I work on Chapter 8 tonight. It's a busy holiday season at my home, which has pushed writing down a few pegs on my priorities. However, if you would like to comment on how you're liking the fic, I might be persuaded to write a little faster... ;) 
> 
> In all sincerity, thank you for taking the time to enjoy the start of this story! I look forward to posting the next chapter soon!

“When is my birthday?”

“September 22nd.” Asami nodded with approval and Korra was ashamed by the glow of pride in her own chest, considering how long she had known her friend. “What about mine?”

“November 1st. And your parents always make a huge fuss about it when you come home for the holidays.” Asami smirked at her and Korra rolled her eyes. 

“I mean yeah. They really do seem to go overboard. They’re probably preparing a feast for us as we speak.”

While she had been perfectly willing to travel by land (the sight-seeing down to the South was always  _ amazing _ ), she had to admit that a private jet was a lot faster. And a lot less annoying, for that matter. As they sipped small glasses of fancy drinks and were fed various delicacies, Korra kept telling herself not to get used to this sort of thing. Despite being friends with Asami since well before she was a CEO, she usually tried not to take advantage of her… extravagancies. 

Asami’s eyes were bright as Korra’s train of thought brought her back to the present. She had leaned forward and put her hand over Korra’s. “You’re so lucky to have such awesome parents, Korra. I can’t wait to meet them.”

Korra laughed, her cheeks warmed. “And I’m sure they can’t wait to meet you. Or… well, what they think you are. But I’m sure they still like you!” 

“I hope so.” Asami withdrew her hand and sipped her drink. “Speaking of which, have you told them that I’m a woman?”

“Uh, not really. But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem for them.” It was a bit short-sighted, but knowing her parents it wouldn’t be a huge deal. After all, when the daughter of the village medicine woman came home a few years ago with her girlfriend, her parents had had nothing but kind words to say about the couple. “Honestly I haven’t thought that part entirely through.”

Asami’s lips twitched. “That’s… a bit concerning. Even if your parents haven’t come off as homophobic before doesn’t mean they will be okay with their only daughter being… well.” She turned away, breaking eye contact.

“Come on, Asami. What’s the worst that can happen? They finally stop trying to set me up with the sons of their local friends?” Korra chuckled nervously. She would  _ really  _ appreciate if they stopped doing that. 

“No, Korra.” The words were spoken softly but coldly. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “For some reason I thought you would think this through. But I guess you might not have. Have you ever questioned your sexuality, Korra?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “I’ve never really had a reason to. I mean, I wish I could be gay, but it’s not like I’m just magically going to be gay, right? Plus everybody  _ wants  _ to be gay!”

The look on Asami’s face seemed like a pretty clear response. “When I came out as bisexual, my father nearly disowned me. He didn’t believe or respect my ‘choice’ until the day he died. And the only reason I told him was because I had a girlfriend and it was seriously straining our relationship.” She took a deep breath and shook her head, as if clearing the air. “Sorry, this is my fault. I should’ve thought about this before we were halfway to the South.” 

Korra shrugged awkwardly. “Seriously, Asami. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Asami shook her head, but a soft smile had begun to take over her face. “Well. Whatever happens happens now.” She picked up her glass and glared critically at the remaining drink. “At this rate, I’m going to need something stronger than sparkling cider.” 

* * *

By the time the plane landed, Korra had taken the time to overthink everything Asami had said. There was not much time to speak as they were ushered to a beautiful black car (how had Asami gotten a car way out here?) and started driving down a long, quiet highway. Harbor City was far from a holiday destination, meaning the airport they’d landed at was an hour drive if they were lucky. Korra pulled up the GPS and took her rightful role as navigator. 

“And we’ll be on this road for another 40 miles.” 

“Sounds good.” Asami’s shoulders relaxed but she kept her eyes fixed on the road. Korra followed her gaze and was almost disappointed to realize there was nothing there. “I’ve never been this far south before. Are the roads usually this well plowed?”

Korra shrugged. “Depends on the week, really. If they haven’t had a severe snow recently, the roads look like this. Our trip might be a bit on the shorter side at this rate.” 

“Thank the Spirits. I’m so ready to eat some real food.” Asami shot her a brief smile. “We can have some actual drinks. Settle in for the night.” Her eyes narrowed and she smirked. “Maybe make some heat of our own if you know what I mean.”

“Asami!” Korra slapped her arm as she started laughing. 

“C’mon Korra. You know I’m joking. But if we have to convince your parents…”

“We will not insinuate to my parents that we are… ew!” Korra shuddered. This was a subject that had never been breached with her parents, and she intended to keep it that way. “Besides we will probably be sleeping separately. I doubt they would let us share a room.” 

“You are 24.” 

“And it’s their house!” 

Asami rolled her eyes playfully. “I guess we’ll see then.” She glanced over toward Korra’s seat. “Can you grab the CD’s from the glove compartment?”

“There are-” much to her surprise, there was an abundance of CD’s in the aforementioned compartment. “How the hell did these get in here? Didn’t you rent this car?” 

Asami’s eyes sparkled. “I have my ways.” 

* * *

As Korra predicted, the drive passed without a hitch. The barren fields of snow turned into semi-populated towns, which evolved into Korra’s beloved hometown. She pointed out memorable spots as they got closer. 

“And that’s where I used to play with my friends. That spot always has the best snowdrifts!

“That’s where I went to school. They had really gross food, but the inside was always nice and warm.

“That’s my parents’ favorite restaurant!” 

“Which side of the road?” Asami eventually asked as they turned onto the correct street.

“Right side.” Korra had turned her phone off by this point and was looking out the window. “There! They’re standing next to the street. Do you see them?”

“I see them.”

Korra’s stomach twisted with excitement. While she had a life in Republic City, she always loved visiting home to see her parents. “Oh Spirits. Okay,” she whispered. She glanced at Asami, who was pulling along the side of the road to park. “Alright. Stay in the car. I’ll come around to get you in just a second.” 

“Okay.” There was a stony look in Asami’s eyes as Korra put her hand on the door. “Good luck Korra.” 

“Thank you.” 

She stepped out of the car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls arrive to Korra's childhood home in the South, but will the unsuspecting parents accept their daughter's supposed significant other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays! Enjoy a cheeky chapter.

“Korra! You’re here!”

“Come on and give your dad a hug!”

“Hey Mom and Dad.” Before she could get another word in she was sandwiched in a giant parent hug. She grasped to hug whoever her arms may catch and smiled. “It’s so good to see you guys. How have things been?”

“Absolutely fine. Even more so now that you’re here.” Her mother released her and pushed her husband off of them. “But enough about us! I hear you have someone for us to meet?” 

“Uh… y-yeah.” Her heart pounded and she suddenly wished they hadn’t stepped away. “Yeah so. About that. I wanted to tell you this in person.” Her parents shared a confused look. “It’s nothing bad,” she assured them as she started walking around to the driver’s side of the car. “It’s just… probably not what you’re going to expect.” 

“Not what we’ll expect,” Tonraq muttered. “Don’t tell me it’s…” his lip curled.

“It’s not Mako!” she assured him. The concern immediately left his face. 

“Oh! Then there’s nothing to worry about!” 

“He’s right, sweetie,” Senna chimed in. “We trust you.” 

“Okay then.” She opened the door. Asami was gazing up at her, green eyes sparkling. Korra held out her hand to her friend and felt her body warm as the beautiful girl’s fingers intertwined with hers. “Mom, Dad. This is Asami… my girlfriend.” 

Time froze as Korra’s nerves took over. Actually, as she thought about it, maybe it wasn’t nerves so much as it was enchantment. When Asami stood, it was with a grace that Korra was sure she had never seen before. She rose as if being lifted; swift and smooth, like a leaf taken by the wind. She flipped her hair over her shoulder before smiling brightly at Tonraq and Senna. 

The trance ended as Korra realized her parents hadn’t said anything. Her stomach flipped over and her gaze shot to her parents, bracing herself for whatever might be thrown their way. But instead of an argument she found them both staring at Asami with similar expressions of awe. 

“Korra,” Senna murmured. “This… beautiful woman. Is your-”

“Girlfriend?” Tonraq finished. His eyes gleamed, large and wet. 

“Er… yeah.” Korra felt herself blushing. Asami’s grip on her hand tightened reassuringly. 

“Well, what are you waiting for? Bring her on over!” Tonraq roared. “It’s freezing out here.”

“And you’ve been traveling all day!” Senna agreed, meeting them halfway around the car to take Korra’s other hand and pull her along. “We’ve got a nice, hot meal ready for both of you.” 

They pulled the girls up to the front door of their cabin. “It’s a bit small,” Senna warned, casting a look to Asami, “but we’ve got a room made up for you two so you’ll be plenty comfortable. Oh! Tonraq! We haven’t even introduced ourselves!” She turned around as they reached the door. “I’m Senna, Korra’s mother. And that’s my husband Tonraq.”

“Korra’s father,” he added.

“Y-yes, thank you, dear.” 

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Asami said sweetly. 

“The honor is ours.” Tonraq beamed at them. “Now, come on in. Korra, your mother and I spent all day preparing this food. We made your favorite!” 

“It wasn’t all day!” Senna insisted. Korra stopped listening to their bickering as the warm smell of home washed over her. The cabin was the very same one she had been raised in from her youngest days, though the decor was much more cozy than she remembered. An abundance of pelts were spread on the floor and wall, now surrounding a display of ancient spears that her father had inherited from his father. That part was new, as their side of the family had been long estranged from her grandparents up north. Until a few years back, she had rarely even seen her uncle or cousins. However, following the passing of her grandfather, Uncle Unalaq had (begrudgingly) presented their small family with the prized heirlooms. 

“I love what you’ve done with Grandpa’s spears,” she commented. “Oh! And Great Grandma’s pottery!” It was displayed on a side table near the door. “Why didn’t you guys do this when I was little? It looks way better than keeping them shoved in a closet!”

Both of her parents laughed. Korra shot a bemused look at Asami, wondering if she had missed the joke. “Oh Korra,” Senna chuckled, “we couldn’t keep anything like that out! Not with you in the house.” 

“Me?” Korra pouted. “I wasn’t that bad!”

“Not bad,” her mother agreed. “Just… easily excited. Your energy always seemed to get away from you.” Korra still wasn’t amused. Senna turned to Asami. “Well, to be honest, I don’t think she ever grew out of that!” 

Much to her dismay, Asami started laughing. _She’s supposed to be on my side!_ What use was a fake girlfriend who wouldn’t even defend her honor? “Oh c’mon, Korra,” Asami cooed, nudging her with her shoulder. “You have to admit, even now you’re still a bit of a safety hazard.”

Korra glared. “I don’t know wha-”

Asami’s eyes narrowed. “Remember my mother’s favorite necklace?”

Her entire body went cold. 

“I guess you have a point,” she muttered, looking down. She was sure all the blood had drained from her face. She’d already apologized for that, right? Should she do it again? 

She opened her mouth and was about to do so when she realized Asami was smiling. “Oh relax, bear. I’m just teasing you.” She leaned in so only Korra could hear her when she spoke. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered.” 

_Oh Spirits._ Now Korra was blushing. _Hard._ She didn’t know how Asami could go from scary to endearing in the span of a few seconds, but damn was she good at it. Of course, it was all staged. Maybe that was why - acting was probably easier than actual flirting. 

“Alright girls! Let’s have a seat,” Senna coaxed, releasing Korra from her own mental prison. “We have Seaweed Noodles! With a side of pickled sea prunes.” Korra settled herself on a matt opposite of her parents with Asami beside her. “Dig in!” 

* * *

Dinner was delicious. As tasty as the noodlery was in Republic City, nothing quite compared to her parents’ recipe. Her father in particular had mastered the art of making noodles. The sea prunes were the same as always, though they all shared a laugh at the look on Asami’s face when she tried one. “The pickling tends to bring out the flavor,” Tonraq explained. “It packs a strong kick if you’re not used to it.” 

Asami’s only response was a whimper. 

They chatted for a while but, understanding they’d had a long day of travel, Korra’s parents soon showed them to their room. “This was Korra’s room as a kid,” Senna explained, holding the door open for them. “We haven’t changed too much beside the bed. We put our warmest blankets on it. After all, it’s just like Korra to bring home a city girl.” She shared a laugh with her husband in the doorway. Korra rolled her eyes half-heartedly. At least they could make each other laugh. 

“Thank you,” she said again as she set her suitcase against a wall. “I’ll get changed in the bathroom. Do you guys have an extra blanket?”

“They’re in the pine chest at the foot of the bed,” Tonraq informed her. “Don’t tell us you’ve gone soft too, Korra?”

She laughed. “No, Dad. I just didn’t want to take any of the blankets from the bed, since Asami’s going to want those.” 

Her father’s brow cocked. “Take them where?”

“To the couch in the living room,” she explained. At their blank stares, she faltered. “W… where I’m going to sleep?”

“Nonsense!” Senna exclaimed, laughing. “What are you, scared teens? We’re all adults here, Korra!” 

“Ha! On the couch,” Tonraq snorted. “Maybe if you brought Mako! Besides, what do we have to worry about? It’s not like anyone’s going to be getting pregnant!” At that both of her parents roared with laughter. It wasn’t often Korra felt the urge to melt into the floor and entirely disappear from existence, but this was definitely one of those moments. 

“Alright thanks again love you guys goodnight!” She pushed her parents out of the room and shut the door before they could humiliate her even more. “Fucking hell,” she sighed, banging her head against the door. “They’re just as bad when I’m in a relationship! At least it’s just you. I think I would just die if I brought an actual significant other.”

“I think it’s cute,” Asami admitted. Korra turned to look at her. She was placed elegantly on the edge of the bed, lips curled in a gentle, calming smile. “They really do have a genuine interest in your life and the person you want to spend it with. They don’t even seem to care that I’m a woman.” 

“That’s true…” She would give her that. “Still. I think it’s going to be a long week.” She made her way over to her suitcase and opened it. “I’m gonna change into my pajamas. Would it be more comfortable for you if I went into the bathroom?” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Asami brushed off the question as she went to her own suitcase. “But I can turn around if it makes you feel better.” She glanced at Korra and cast a wink her way. _By the Spirit of Raava, Asami! Keep it in your pants!_

“Pfft. It’s fine. I’m just going to change.” 

She changed into a tank top and sweatpants - her usual sleepwear (and sleepover gear, from the few times that she’d spent the night with Asami). Usually Asami just wore a t-shirt and shorts for the few times Korra had seen her getting ready for bed. When she turned around, however, she was taken aback to realize that Asami had a _much_ different idea. 

It was a black nightgown that nearly reached down to Asami’s ankles. It had long sleeves and fit the woman’s frame in such a way that Korra couldn’t help but feel… jealousy? Yeah, she was sure it must be jealousy. Because _nobody_ should be allowed to look that _good_ in a long, glorified robe. She gulped, pushing down that devilish _jealousy_ as her gaze followed the gentle curve of Asami’s hips up toward her face. “I’m going to go take off my makeup,” she said, oblivious to Korra’s sudden fascination. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time,” she murmured vacantly as Asami left the room. _Damn._ Sato really was bringing her A-game today. _Ha. If I was gay, I probably_ would _be in love with her._

But, despite her hopes, Korra wasn’t gay. No, if she were gay, she would know, right? Like, people couldn’t just wake up one morning a say ‘Oh hey I’m gay because I want to be’. Because if that were the case, the world would be a very different place. No. If she were gay, she would’ve just known. There would’ve been a sign. That she was sure of. 

She grabbed a few blankets from the pine chest and made herself a makeshift bed on the floor. “You can just sleep in the bed,” Asami offered as she returned, putting away her makeup remover. “It’s your room, after all. If anything, I should be the one on the floor.” 

“I’m already comfy,” she countered, tucking herself into the slightly-too-thin blankets on the cold, hard floor. “Besides I’m more of a sprawler if you catch my drift. Need my space.”

Asami chuckled, shaking her head. “If you insist. I’ll just be up here. Comfy and cozy on this giant bed. Beneath a warm duvet. On a fleece sheet.” 

“Sounds lovely.” Korra stretched. The room went dark with a click from the lamp. “Goodnight Asami.”

“Goodnight Korra.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they begin their first official day in Harbor City, Korra and Asami are quickly put to the test of pulling off their fake relationship. Asami seems to take her role in stride, but Korra is still a bit nervous. With a full day planned, will the girls be able to keep convincing Korra's parents?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! It's starting out to be a busy year in my home, but I have a feeling 2020 is going to be good for us all. Also, just as I side note, I wanted to say that Korra's gay ignorance is based off of myself. Yes, she is very dumb and very oblivious, but god damn if she isn't relatable.
> 
> (I spent my childhood fawning over beautiful women and it has taken me ten years to realize this, five of which I have been out of the closet for. Life is rough when you don't know that gay is an option, fellas. I used to wish with all my heart that I could be gay... spoiler alert... I am. Shout out to my first girlfriend for having the balls to ask me out and finally making me realize that I wanted to date women.)

_ Knock knock knock…  _

“Korra? Asami? Are you girls awake?” 

Korra groaned.  _ Five more minutes Mom… there’s no school on Saturdays… _

_ Knock knock knock. _

“Girls? Are you decent? Can we come in?” 

Korra’s eyes shot open. “Come in?” she whispered hoarsely. “Er… uh… one minute, Mom!” 

Laughter resounded from the other side of the door as she scrambled to her feet. Asami blinked blearily at her, obviously not awake enough to understand what was happening. “What’s wrong?” she murmured. 

“My parents are at the door!” Korra hissed, shoving her sheets under the bed. “We need to make it look like we shared a bed!” She leapt onto the bed, and scrambled under the covers. 

“But…why?” Asami scooted towards the edge of the bed. 

“Because we are a  _ couple! _ ” The spot where Asami had been sleeping was nice and warm. The blankets were so cozy that Korra immediately felt sleep beckoning back to her. She suddenly wished she had taken Asami’s offer to share the bed the night before. 

“Korra? Can we come in?” 

“Yes Mom,” she responded, letting herself sink into the bed. “Come in.” 

The door clicked open and her mother came in, beaming. “Good morning girls! I hope I didn’t wake you up, but we have big plans today!”

“Like what?” Korra asked through a yawn, bringing her arms up to stretch over her head. 

“I am so glad you asked! To start your dad is preparing breakfast. Then we’re all going to go out to the-”

Korra sighed as her mother continued, resting her eyes as she tried to listen. She really hadn’t slept well the previous night. The floor wouldn’t have bothered her so much if it hadn’t been so cold… maybe the city really was softening her up. She nuzzled into the pillow, smiling slightly at the fresh, floral smell. She opened her eyes only to find Asami’s gazing back at her. With a small smile tugging at her cheeks and a brilliant glint in her beautiful green eyes, Korra couldn’t help the shiver that went down her spine. 

“So, are you ready to get started?”

She tugged her gaze away from the beautiful woman to look at her mom. “Yeah mom. We’ll be out shortly. Just give us a few minutes to wake up.” 

If it were up to Korra, she would’ve gone back to sleep on the spot. As it was, however, Korra had absolutely no say in the matter. She tried to close her eyes and drift off but a soft hand on her shoulder kept her in the present. “C’mon, Korra. We have to get ready.” 

“Mmmmmmm no,” Korra suggested, wriggling slightly under her friend’s grasp. “How ‘bout sleep.” 

“You know we have to.” Asami’s thumb stroked over Korra’s skin, gently coaxing her. “Your parents want us at the rink in an hour.” 

“Rink?”

“Yes,” Asami sighed. “The ice skating rink? That your mom just mentioned?”

“Ugh.” Korra groaned. “Fine. We’ll get up. Imma teach you to skate.” 

“That sounds lovely, bear.” She felt something soft press to her cheek and realized too late that it was Asami’s lips. She opened her eyes in shock, much to the amusement of her friend. “I thought that might wake you up. Come on,  _ lover. _ ”

She finally took the L and sat up, rolling her shoulders and glaring at the sunlight as it snuck through the curtains. “You really know how to play hardball, huh?”

Asami had pushed herself up and was sitting on the edge of the bed. When she peeked over her shoulder, her smile was enough to paralyze Korra. “Let’s just say I’m good at what I do.” 

* * *

“I still can’t believe you’ve never gone ice skating before.” 

Asami rolled her eyes (for probably the millionth time in the last hour, if Korra were keeping count). “Republic City doesn’t exactly rake in the tour money from their winter themed sports, Korra. Plus I was too busy taking self-defense classes and other important heiress activities.” 

“I guess those count.” In reality, ice skating was one of the few after school activities in the south that appealed to her as a kid. After she’d been kicked out of the library for “rowdy behavior”, she and her friends had started an ice hockey team. It had been a great way to take out her energy and sparked a passion for sports that she still cherished years later. She found a seat on a bench and took off her shoes. “But you’re in my town now, Sato. So strap on your blades and let’s get skating!” 

“I got to say, strapping sharp blades to the feet of children doesn’t seem entirely sound,” Asami teased. 

“Oh it’s not,” Korra assured her. “In fact, professional hockey involves a lot of hot tempers and fights.” She had her skates on almost instantly - a habit that was literally as natural as tying a shoe. “I was a die-hard fan as a kid.” 

“I wonder why.” Asami’s face scrunched in frustration as she tried to balance her foot in the skate.

“Let me help,” Korra offered, stepping over to kneel in front of her friend. In reality it was a simple task Asami could absolutely handle on her own. However, this would earn her some excellent girlfriend points with her parents. She knotted the laces nice and snug. “Does that feel alright?” Asami nodded and she moved on to the next foot. “I know this isn’t your cup of tea, but I think you’re going to enjoy it.” She stood up and beamed at Asami, offering her hand. 

“I know I will,” Asami responded, taking Korra’s hand and standing on nervous legs. “I always do. As long as it’s with you.” It came off as a line, but the smile that Asami gave her was genuine. Quite honestly, there was no reason for it  _ not  _ to be genuine. She was absolutely right. Everything always seemed to be better whenever Asami was around.  _ I’m lucky to have such a good friend.  _ Who was willing to put up with a lot for her, might she add.

“Awwww! Tonraq, look at our girls!” Korra’s smile faltered as her parents arrived just in time to ruin the moment. “Aren’t they cute?” 

“Adorable,” Tonraq agreed, his voice a rumble. “Remember when we were their age?” 

“Remember?” Senna laughed, pulling him close. “I’m pretty sure you had an arranged marriage up in the North!” 

“And you were dating a pelt trader,” Tonraq shot back, “neither of us are perfect!”

Korra had turned back to focus on Asami as she was still getting used to her skates on the ground. “What about roller skates? You’ve worn those before, yeah?” 

“In elementary school.” She squealed as she almost fell forward. Korra held solid, jerking slightly under the unexpected pressure. She held their joined hands up high and giggled. 

“Maybe we should just worry about getting you to the ice?” 

Asami opened her mouth to reply but was distracted as a flash of light temporarily blinded both of them. Korra turned to see her dad had taken out a camera. She groaned. “Really, Dad? Is that necessary?” 

“And miss our girls ice skating? Ha! You’re so silly, Korra.” 

“C’mon slow pokes!” Senna called, waddling her way to the rink. “Let’s get this party skating!” 

* * *

Once Asami was on the ice, she was just about as horrible as on the ground. 

“So don’t angle your feet inward,” Korra advised for the upteenth time as Asami nearly tripped over her own feet. “You can go in and out to move but if you keep going in you’re going to fall.” 

Asami bit her lip, brow furrowing in concentration - just like it would if she was stuck on a difficult project at work. “In and out.” She had worked up to moving a few inches at a time but was still clasped to Korra’s hand. 

“Yes. Here, grab the side,” Korra told her, releasing her grip to take a step back. “Another way to move is like this. Push with one foot and glide with the other.” She demonstrated with quick, easy movements. She wished she could remember what it was like to be foreign to the ice for the sake of helping her friend. “Do you think you can do that?” 

“Mhm.” She let go of the wall to mimic Korra’s movements. It worked well and she skated to meet Korra. “Look! I’m doing it!” 

“You are!” Korra had turned around to keep an eye on her. She felt a glow of pride. “That’s awesome! Just reach me and we’ll try it together.” 

Asami pushed off and caught up. “Hand,” she demanded. Korra obliged and took her hand. 

“Great. Let’s go try to catch up with Mom and Dad.” 

* * *

They practiced for a good while - right up to the point that Asami was actually comfortable with gliding. Korra let go of her hand to show off some of her long-practiced tricks while her parents took pictures (much to her dismay). She returned eventually, nervous to leave Asami alone for too long. Just as they were debating calling it a day, the owners of the rink decided it was time to play some music. “Oooo we have to stay!” Senna exclaimed. “Just for a few songs! Come on Tonraq. It’ll be just like when we first started dating!” 

Korra rolled her eyes as they ditched her once again. “Every time,” she sighed. “Always the songs with those two.” 

“I think it’s sweet,” Asami admitted. “And they’re very good at it. Look at them go!” 

Korra wished she could be impressed, but she had been watching the same dance routine for nearly two decades. With that in mind, she tried to see it with new eyes - the eyes of a person who couldn’t skate for shit. “I guess you’re right,” she noted as her mother did a twirl. “But it’s not really that hard.” 

“Really?” Asami looked skeptical. 

“Really!” she insisted. “Watch. Come here.” She fell behind Asami and put her hand on the woman’s hip, taking her other hand and holding it out in front of them. “And then we just… glide around.” 

“No.” Asami lightly slapped the hand on her hip and pulled away from Korra. “That’s scary. Try it like this.” She turned around to face Korra, right arm hooking around Korra’s neck. Korra rested her hand on Asami’s waist and took her other hand. “See?”

“This just feels like a normal dance,” Korra pointed out as they drifted aimlessly on the ice. Asami said nothing and she realized how heavy the weight on her shoulder was. “Wait, are you just using me because your feet are tired?” 

Asami blinked innocently. “What could you possibly mean?”

Korra laughed heartily. “I think you, Ms. Sato, are bad and tired of ice skating, but too proud to admit it.” 

“Why I never!” Asami gasped softly, the most clever hint of a smile tugging on her red lips. Her red, chapped lips.  _ One day in the South really taking a toll, huh?  _ “I just… really like staring into your eyes.” 

“Oh yeah?” Now that she mentioned it, she was actually very close. Her breaths were quick, billowing gently from her mouth to mix with Korra’s as they met the brisk noon air of the South. Maybe she was breathing in Asami’s exhale, but she was starting to feel a tad bit light headed. “Well, uh, w-why would you… why would you do that?” 

“Because they’re pretty,” Asami replied, a full grin blooming on her rosy cheeks. “Like the ocean. Or the sky.” 

Korra felt herself blushing in addition to the temperature. “T-thanks,” she breathed lightly. “Your eyes are pretty, too.” That they were. Maybe it was something about being back home, but the green had never been so exquisite as it was now. She beamed. “But I still think you are just leaning on me.” 

“Touché, my dear. Touché.” 

Whatever it honestly was, it was intoxicating. She’d always remembered how cold the ice rink was. How sweaty she would leave at night, still feeling the chills in her toes. But now, for the first time ever, not a single part of her felt cold. The spots where she and Asami held to each other were fire, body heat meeting body heat to fight the arctic temperature. Yet somehow, for all the places Asami clung to her, the most amazing part was her eyes staring back at her, warming every square inch of her insides with the sweetest, squirmiest, jolliest feelings. She couldn’t have named it to save her life but she reveled in it. It seemed to be drawing them closer together mentally. Actually, scratch that…. Physically? Asami had rested her forehead against Korra’s. As entranced as she was in the woman’s beautiful eyes, she couldn’t help but spare an unconscious glance to her lips. It would be many hours before she even recalled doing so, but for certain there was a part of her watching her friend’s lips, oh so subtly imagining what it may feel like to-

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” 

The trance was broken by the voice of her mother.  _ Uck.  _ Just like that she had pulled away, still holding Asami but not nearly as close. The warmth between them had somehow dissipated. She frowned. 

“What?” Senna asked. “You father was trying to get a good picture!” True to her word, Tonraq was right beside her, camera to his eye. 

“Ha, okay, I think we’re good,” Korra said. “Are you ready to call it a trip Asami?” 

Asami nodded, cheeks so red she could have passed for a stop sign. “My feet are sore.”

“Oh, uh… L-let me help. Korra hooked her arm further around Asami’s back and released her hand to scoop under Asami’s legs. Asami yelped in shock and hugged her neck tightly. “Relax,” Korra chuckled. “I’ve got you. Let’s get you out of those skates.” 

* * *

After ice skating, her parents decided they wanted to go for a walk. Korra didn’t really mind; she rather enjoyed being able to reminisce about her younger years on the streets of the cold, windy town. Asami, however, didn’t seem to be holding up as well. Even though she had two coats on, she was still shivering. And, if Korra knew anything about skating, her ankles were probably sore. Despite this all, she didn’t seem to be letting any of it affect her mood. 

“Are you girls hungry?” Senna asked as they walked down one of the busier streets in town. It was crowded with dozens of businesses, the smell of food wafting from nearly every direction. “Last month a new restaurant moved in where the trading post used to be… how about we stop by? It’s supposed to be authentic Fire Nation cuisine!” 

Korra saw a glimmer in Asami’s eyes and couldn’t help but smile herself. “That sounds delicious,” her friend sighed (probably in relief). Despite her parents’ best efforts to make Asami feel at home, Korra was sure that the small cottage with home cooked meals was far from what the CEO was used to. For breakfast they’d had cornmeal cakes - another one of Korra’s favorites - but still rather foreign to Asami. After all, she remembered when she first arrived in Republic City. Things get pretty lonely when you aren’t even used to the food you’re eating…

The group made their way into the restaurant where they were promptly seated. Korra looked over the menu and felt her stomach rumble. “Ooo Komodo Sausage,” she groaned. “That’s one of my favorites!” 

“What about Extra Spicy Fire Noodles?” Asami asked, pointing it out on the menu. “Didn’t you like those? We had them at that booth that one time, remember?”

“Yeah, but they were  _ really  _ spicy.” Just thinking of it made Korra’s throat itch. She didn’t know what was with the Fire Nation and their spices, but last time she’d tried the dish, her taste buds had been  _ decimated.  _

“I mean, it is in the name,” Asami giggled. “Uh. What about Smoked Sea Slug? If I order this will you want some? I can’t eat a whole slug on my own.” 

“Sure,” Korra nodded. “I’m sure my dad will want to try it too.” 

“Absolutely!” Tonraq agreed. He squinted at the menu. “Korra, have you tried the Roast Duck?” 

“Oh yeah! It’s really good. Kinda tastes like arctic hen but with way better seasoning.” Korra glanced between her parents. “But, uh, if you’re going to get a whole duck, maybe you two should share it. I don’t think we could even fit that in the fridge.” 

“Sounds good to me!” her mother chimed in. “As long as we get to try the hotcakes!” 

Asami glanced to Korra, beaming brightly. Korra nodded in return, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “They are the best. We got them this year for Asami’s birthday.” Technically they had raided an entire sweetshop (Bolin’s idea…), but the cakes had been Korra’s favorite. 

“They’re good,” Asami agreed, “but  _ nothing  _ compared to traditional Air Nomad sweet buns.” 

Korra would have agreed. “Yes, but we aren’t at an Air Nomad restaurant! We’re at a Fire Nation place. Plus, they’re not as good if Pema doesn’t bake them.” She gave Asami a stern look. “Because she makes them with  _ love. _ ”

“Oh, is that all?” Asami asked, taking a tactful sip of her spiced tea. “Darn. I was sure those things were laced with weed or something.” 

Korra slapped her arm, nearly knocking the tea out of her hand. She raised her brow at Asami and shot an obvious glance at her parents across the table. “What? I’m only joking!” Asami defended. 

(It would have been funnier if it wasn’t true. The first time Korra had tried to make Pema’s recipe had been the last when she’d thought she would be a smart ass and made them with weed. They were disgusting and made everyone sick. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t finished the entire tray). 

Service was quick and, before long, the four were digging into delicious food. The serving of Komodo Sausage was a bit small but it worked well, since she was also sharing with Asami. 

“Amazing!” Tonraq exclaimed as he tore through the Roast Duck. “There is so much flavor! Are all meals in Republic City this tasty?” 

“Pretty much,” Korra admitted. “I mean, Fire Nation food is pretty famous for being heavily seasoned, but it’s definitely different than most of the food we have here.” The most commonly used spice in the South was salt, and that was mostly because it helped preserve meat. 

“There’s a whole array of options,” Asami continued. “My father’s favorite was the Si Wong Fire Pepper. It can be eaten fresh, crushed, or dried, and added to your favorite meal, but I would never recommend it.” She shook her head, a steely glint in her eyes. “They say it was discovered in the early years of the Hundred Years War, when Earth Kingdom natives started comparing it’s flavor to the fire of a dozen Fire Nation soldiers.”

“I want to try it,” Korra piped in, breaking the tension. “I think it’s all talk. Honestly, it’s just a  _ fruit.  _ It can’t be that bad.” 

Tonraq chuckled. “Careful, Korra. It’s often the things we know the least about that hold the potential to hurt us the most.” 

Korra rolled her eyes.

* * *

By the time evening came and went, the family had settled in the living space of the cabin. Their bellies full and hearts content, conversation dropped to casual small talk. Korra’s mother took out her most recent sewing project as Asami doodled complicated blueprints on a napkin from the restaurant. With each passing minute, Korra’s exhaustion grew. Her muscles were stiff, now from ice skating in addition to her night on the floor. She ended up retiring a bit earlier than normal, blaming it on jetlag.

“I think I’ll join you,” Asami said as she stood. “I need my beauty sleep.” 

Korra narrowed her eyes. 

_ She barely gets four hours of sleep a night.  _ Korra knew this because, when prompted, Asami would usually grumble about how “nobody tells  _ male  _ CEO’s to get  _ their  _ beauty sleep. Ugly ass motherfuckers.” 

She changed in her bedroom while Asami was in the bathroom. As she was setting up her blankets for the floor, Asami returned with a gentle knock. “Korra, you aren’t seriously considering sleeping on the floor again, are you?” 

Korra paused. “Uh… yes?”

A hand rested on her shoulder. “We have been friends for years. I think we can handle sharing a bed for a few nights. I promise I won’t grope you or anything weird.” Asami winked cheekily as she made her way to her side of the bed. Korra’s mouth gaped, words failing her as she realized that that hadn’t been her worry to begin with. 

She glanced once more at the blanket on the floor. It wasn’t even a blanket, really… more of a sheet. A sad, pathetic sheet. Plus, if her parents were going to be surprising them in the mornings, it would be a lot smarter to just sleep in the bed to begin with. “Fine,” she sighed, picking up the sheet. “I’ll be right there.” 

Once the sheets were tucked away in their chest, she finally let herself sit on the bed. Her parents had bought it after she had moved out - a fact that infuriated her constantly, seeing as it was the comfiest bed she’d ever had the blessing to encounter. “I could fall into a coma on this thing,” she sighed, laying down and pulling the blankets to her waist. 

“Honestly,” Asami sighed. A click indicated that she had turned the lamp off. “It might be better than mine, and I paid a fortune for that.” 

“They make a lot of the resources here,” Korra explained as she flipped to her side. Asami had done the same and, in the dim light of the bedroom, she could just see the glisten of her eyes. “My grandmother collected otter penguin down and made this blanket for me when I was young. And I think my mom might’ve made the sheets.” 

“That’s so sweet,” Asami murmured. Her eyes were drooping even as they spoke. “No wonder it’s warm… made with love.” 

Korra giggled. “Yeah. That’s probably it.” She stayed silent as Asami’s eyes closed. She had the blankets tucked up to her ears, her hair sprawled wildly. It was weird to see her like this, knowing how hard Asami had worked over the years to present a strong image for her company. After her father had gone to prison, she’d received a lot of criticism for the decline in business. It was necessary… any weakness she showed to the public would be taken and torn apart as another example of how she was a prissy rich kid. 

Maybe that was a bit extreme… but still. It felt wrong to see her this soft. This vulnerable. Korra’s instincts told her to look away but she couldn’t seem to find the motivation. Besides, it wasn’t wrong to see her like this. They were friends! She’d helped Asami through breakups and business crises alike. She’d seen her much softer - much more fragile. So why did this feel so weird?

It was at this point, of course, that the moment came back to her. 

Her gaze wandered over Asami’s lips, remembering quite suddenly the moment they’d caught her attention earlier that day. She bit her bottom lip, also remembering how her thoughts had been cut off. What had she been thinking about? She recalled noticing how chapped they were. Maybe she had been meaning to get her friend some chapstick? While that did seem like a good idea, it wasn’t what she’d been considering. If she focused she could remember the feel of Asami’s forehead against her own - the smell of floral perfume surrounding her. Had she been wondering what scent it was? So she could present it as a gift once this mess was all over? No… that didn’t feel right. 

She sighed, frustrated. What had it been? It’d been a good thought, that was for sure. She remembered it had left her feeling warm - excited. Like seeing fireworks for the first time. Or racing through the park with your best friend; leaves brushing past her face, green like the glow of Asami’s eyes, both of them panting heavily when suddenly they were on the ice rink again, and Korra could see the moment clearly: Asami’s hand gliding over her cheek as their lips met, and the exhilaration as her heart started pounding, as if she had just run a mile…

From the start of a peaceful dream Korra’s eyes opened wide. That was it… she’d thought about kissing Asami. That would be smart, considering their ‘relationship’ but… she didn’t want that, did she? Did that mean she wanted… that she was…

_ Oh. Oh no.  _


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While enjoying an impromptu snow day, Korra runs into a childhood friend. Where will this old acquaintance lead them? Will they ever be able to come back??? (Metaphorically. This is not an action fanfic. If you thought it was, you are sorely mistaken. Please show yourself out.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, friends. We are approaching the gay shit. Lucky for you, soSwede is all for that gay shit... and is more than willing to demand it of me. Without further ado, here is almost some gay shit but not quite. ;)

Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip back home if there wasn’t a snow storm. 

“Worst one of the season!” Korra’s mother trilled as she hopped into their room in the morning (it was a good thing Korra had slept on the bed, lest she had been trampled beneath Senna’s solid snow boots). “We are going to go check on Katara. Not sure when we’ll be back… will you girls be okay alone for part of the day?” 

“‘Course,” Korra murmured. Usually she was way more pumped for snow storms. However, after sleeping in the comfy bed all night, she was nearly comatose. “Let us know.”

“Of course, dear! We’ll keep you posted!” 

It was very early at that point - so much so that neither of the girls really registered that they were gone. When Korra naturally woke up it was already around 10am and she was alone. “‘Sami?” she called softly, sitting up to scan the bedroom. No one… hmmm. She slipped into her slippers and left the room. “Asami?”

“Yes?” There was a loud clatter from the kitchen. She raced out of the hall to see what had happened. 

“Are you okay?”

“Er… yes.” Asami was a mess, standing in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by bowls, flour spilled across her shirt. “I was just… trying to make us some breakfast. But your parents didn’t have any frozen pancakes so I was going to try to make some.” 

“Try?” Korra cocked her brow. “H.. have you never made pancakes before?” 

“Yes!” Asami exclaimed defensively, picking up the bowls she’d dropped. “Just… not usually from scratch. That was the chef’s job.” 

Korra blinked. “You are the most unrelatable person ever. Also never mention to Mako that you grew up with a family chef.” 

Asami set the items on the counter and looked away. “Actually, it was my personal chef. My father usually had the butler get him food.”

“Okay, that is much worse!” Korra laughed a bit at the absurdity of it. “But seriously. If Mako hears you saying shit like that, he’ll give you another list of ‘Top Ten Meals I Proudly Procured From the Trash’, and you’ll get sick again.” She smiled and approached her friend, setting a hand on her shoulder. “C’mon. I’ll show you how it’s done.” 

After her father’s imprisonment about six years ago, Asami had removed herself from the manor (and all the staff associated with it). Korra remembered the time rather vividly, though she had assumed the heiress had moved herself to a house or something. Two months had passed before she learned that Asami had been sleeping in her office - living off of coffee, energy drinks, and excessive amounts of takeout. While at the time it had seemed awesome to her (an 18 year old living with minimalist vegetarians), the reality was startlingly harsh. Asami had lost weight; dark circles remained under her eyes regardless of makeup or ‘sleep’. Papers had littered the desk and sloppily made, illegible designs were scrawled and hung on the wall. It had been a very low time for the girl and Korra did the first thing that came to mind and offered her to come live with her and Tenzin’s family. 

Of course the family had welcomed her with open arms. Tenzin was Katara’s son and a close friend to Korra’s family, to the point that they had trusted their young daughter to stay with him when she moved to Republic City. Sure, they lived as monks, but it was better than nothing. Korra would testify that their beds were the shittiest things on the planet, but that first night Asami stayed with them, she slept for a solid ten hours. 

Asami was a person who had been cared for her entire life, to the point that, in the face of disaster, she had fallen apart. She had grown up rich and never knowing needs but had sacrificed some of her beloved self-sufficiency. Korra had worked hard to understand this and, as she showed Asami how to properly flip a pancake, couldn’t help but feel pride for what her friend had accomplished. She’d gone from a life of luxury in a mansion to being able to care for herself in her small apartment. For someone who could’ve turned out way more spoiled, she was pretty decent. 

“This thick batter means it’ll be a bit gooey in the middle,” she explained. “Tenzin’s kids always like them this way. So next time we go visit them, we can give the poor guy a break.” 

“Let me try the next one,” Asami insisted. 

She handed her the spatula. “With the speed of Raava,” she granted her, teasing. 

Much to her surprise, all the pancakes turned out pretty decently. They feasted at the table, casting glances outside to the snowy hell that had befallen them. “I always thought Republic City was cold,” Asami said softly. “And sometimes it snows. I knew that. But I’ve never imagined winter could be so… deep. Engulfing.” 

“Oh yeah,” Korra agreed as she took a bite. “I’ve always loved the weather like this. The world is so much more quiet, even up here where we’re used to it.” Her parents had shoveled an opening for the door (they always did) but, upon a glance through the windows, the cabin was quickly snowing itself in again. “The school shuts down. People stay inside near the fire. Mom used to spend the whole day preparing a warm meal.” The memories were soft and fuzzy, as if they themselves were illuminated in the light of the fireplace. “Usually me and my friends would go out and play in the afternoon if the wind was down. When I came back Mom made me hot milk to help warm me up.”

“Warm milk?” Asami asked, her voice distant. 

“Yeah. Like… she would heat up milk with a bit of vanilla and cinnamon. It was so tasty.” 

Asami’s brow furrowed. “I think… my mom did something similar. At least that’s what I was told.” She looked to Korra, smiling, her eyes glowing in that light that was often inspired by cold, snowy days. “She used to make me hot chocolate in the winter. I don’t remember it too well, but my dad replicated it when I was older. It was okay, but my mom’s… hers was the best.” 

“What did it taste like?” Korra asked, enraptured by thoughts of hot drinks mixed with warm spices. 

Asami hummed, narrowing her eyes. “Like… sledding,” she decided. “And laughing. Snow… but not like this. No, it was barely enough to sled in, but we made do.”

“Those aren’t flavors,” Korra murmured softly, absolutely beaming across the table. She had her elbows propped on it and her head resting in her hands, waiting impatiently for Asami to continue. 

The girl shrugged. “That’s what it tasted like when I was little. Now it’s more… nostalgic.” She pushed her plate aside and leaned forward, meeting Korra’s gaze. “The few times I’ve made it for myself, it just aches. Usually I don’t think about my mom too much, but it’s one of those things. When I smell it I can almost remember her hugs. She always worried so much when I was out in the cold and would hold me tight when she took me inside. Or her smile when we clinked our mugs together.” Asami blinked and glanced to the window wistfully. “Dad said she never minded the cold. Snow made her happy. I’m sure she would’ve loved to visit Harbor City.” 

Silence settled over them, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Korra was absolutely enraptured by the story, her heart heavy as she put the words into perspective. She’d had a full childhood with both of her parents to look back on and appreciate. All Asami had of her mother were hazy memories. Of course, it was the way life was - chaos and disarray. Joy alongside sorrow. If she really wanted she could probably give herself a whole crisis surrounding the concepts, but that really wasn’t what she wanted to do with her day. 

Breaking the trance, she stood up and took their plates to the sink. Cleaning up only took a few minutes as Asami joined her to help put away ingredients and dry the dishes. “I think the snow is letting up a bit,” Korra noted as large, heavy flakes shifted into a barely visible flurry. “Do you want to go take a look outside?” 

Asami nearly dropped another bowl. “Outside? It’s freezing out there, Korra! It’s not even in the double digits!”

“Oh, honey…” Korra sighed. “Around here, the double digits are a heat wave this time of year.” 

“Well, what about gear?” she asked. “Do you have snow pants or something?” 

Korra laughed loudly. “Don’t let my father hear you saying that!” she teased. “No, no that’s a very city thing to say. Around here we have more traditional garb, but much warmer.” She headed to the living room closet. “I’m sure we have some extra clothes you can use. As long as you want to, that is.” She glanced back to her indecisive friend, patiently waiting for her response. 

It only took a few more seconds before Asami nodded hesitantly. “Yes,” she agreed. “Let’s go.” 

* * *

She ended up dressing Asami in under armour (warm leggings and shirt), sweat pants, and a ‘dress’ (long blue tunic, very commonly worn in the tribe). She topped the look by hanging a blue fur pelt over her shoulders like a cape. “This should keep you warm,” she promised as she fastened the fur at the front. “There are extra gloves to cover your arms in the bin over there. And you’re gonna want to put up your hood. Okay?” 

Asami nodded stiffly. It was adorable. Korra smiled and barely stifled a laugh before rushing to the closet to find clothes for herself. Despite her best attempts, Asami noticed. “What?” she asked defensively. “Is it because I’m obviously not Water Tribe?” 

“No,” Korra promised. “It’s just… you move like a person who's never worn a heavy coat before. 

When she peeked over her shoulder Asami was pouting (trying to pout - she was obviously resisting a smile). 

“You’ll get used to it!” She assured her, slipping on her own tunic and grabbing a pair of gloves. “Come on. Let’s go!” 

There was a brief fight with the snow outside the door. Korra managed to keep it out of the house and shoveled them a path into the small yard behind the house. “There!” she panted, her breath billowing heavily in the dense, cold air. “Just like that! Well? What do you think?” she turned to Asami, showing her the view from their backyard (which was essentially just a frozen tundra). 

“It’s… pretty,” Asami said. “Very pretty. And cold. Almost exclusively cold.” She was holding her arms tight to her, as if trying to conserve warmth (a very silly idea, as the outfit she was wearing was literally made to do that). 

“You’ll warm up to it,” Korra assured her, beaming at the mild, unintended pun. “Here, c’mon! Let’s do something!” 

The very first step to going outside in the snow was to walk through it and see how hard it was. The fresh snow was almost up to Korra’s knees at this point, providing a sure challenge. “I forgot how fun this was!” she exclaimed, jumping around. “Spirits, Naga used to love this as a puppy.” She reached out and made an imprint with her hand, thinking about how much the dog had grown in the years since they’d lived here. “It’s not warm enough to build a snowman, but do you want to try a snow fort?” 

“S-sure,” Asami quivered. “Let’s give it a shot.” 

They settled in the spot Korra had trampled and started by digging themselves into a hole. This was followed by building up walls around them. “My friends and I used to have snowball fights with these,” she explained. “It was always fun. Until someone got hit in the face with a block of ice.” 

Asami giggled. As they worked, she seemed to be warming up, much to Korra’s relief. “We never really had the chance for this when I was a kid,” she said. “Either there wasn’t enough snow or not enough friends. Or sometimes I just didn’t have time.” 

“Well thank the Spirits you’re here now!” 

Time seemed to breeze by. The snow fort was quickly enough to conceal them sitting, but other than that was pretty lame. “I have some ideas,” Asami assured her. I think on the outside we’ll dig a moat. And we can put a guard tower inside of that… we’re going to need something to put in the moat, though.” 

Korra laughed. “Is this a snow fort or a sand castle?”

Asami’s eyes glinted mischievously when she turned to look at Korra. “Both.” 

* * *

For two grown adults, they spent a little too much time making a snow fort. But by the time it was finished, it was by far the most glorious snow fort that Korra had ever seen. 

The basic box was at the very center, with two guard towers (on the edge corners). The moat was pretty impressive. They’d taken a small strip of wood to use as the bridge, and for the tiger-seals in the moat they’d stolen some sea prunes from the fridge (they would replace them, of course). Asami had roped off a small area away from the main fort and was using another strip of wood to outline her next project. 

“This will be the armory,” she explained. “It could connect to the castle through an underground tunnel, but my dad did that so it’s lame. Plus it would leave us vulnerable to attack. But we need people to defend us, so this building will be housing for our soldiers.”

At this point Korra was feeling her age sneaking up on her. She was tired and cold, but Asami was so invested… she didn’t have the heart to crush the girl’s snow castle dreams. 

They had just started excavating the armory when an unexpected voice broke into their focused architecture frenzy. 

“Well I’ll be damned! It  _ is  _ Korra!” 

When Korra looked up, she found herself staring at an approaching figure. He was dressed in the normal garb and had his hair back in a wolf tail. She stared at his face, struggling to recognize anyone past the giant, bushy beard. But, as he caught her eyes, she gasped.

“Kallik?!”

He stopped a few feet away and bowed a little. “Yours truly.” He looked between her and Asami, shaking his head. “When I heard you would be back in town, I was worried you’d broken your arm or something again. But then they said you were coming for the festival and bringing your…” he squinted at Asami. “Uh… boyfriend?” 

Korra fumbled a bit, trying to find the words, but was interrupted when Asami leaned forward and offered Kallik her hand. “Girlfriend, actually. I’m Asami.” She flashed him with a charming smile that, even from the side, Korra could tell was absolutely bedazzling. “And who are you, if I may ask?”

“Oh! Uh, Kallik!” He blushed and shook her hand excitedly. Korra rolled her eyes. He would put on a big act about being cool but, deep down, the tiniest show of attention sent him spiraling. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t realize that Korra was… is… uh.” He scratched his neck. “But I mean y’know, I guess that explains a lot.” 

“Really?” Korra and Asami asked in sync - like something out of a cartoon. Korra’s was in shock while Asami’s was curious. 

“Oh yeah.” He nodded. “I mean, do you remember back when we started high school? And we met this girl a year above us - Spirits - what was her name? Uh, I think it was Arnaq? Yeah, and she hung out with us for a while. You were  _ smitten  _ with her.” He chuckled, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten this. “You would spend all your time with her, even started ditching us. You didn’t believe Ikiaq when she told you Arnaq was talking shit behind all of our backs and once you found out, you were just  _ heartbroken.  _ It took us weeks to get you out of the house! Do you remember?” 

“Yes,” Korra said coldly, glaring at him. “Quite vividly. Thanks for reminding me.” She scowled slightly as she heard Asami giggle.

“Well that’s all water under the bridge now! Look at you, got yourself a hot girlfriend! Nice job, by the way.” He winked at her in a way that made her stomach churn. “Hell! Only thing that could be better was if she were  _ rich  _ or something.” 

The silence that fell between the girls was very telling. Thankfully, Kallik was not one for reading situations. 

“Anyway, I was just on my way home to clean up before the after ski party. We’re going to have the whole gang there. Hey! You guys should join us!” He beamed as if he’d just had the brightest idea ever. Korra had to bite back a passive aggressive remark to herself about how he’d  _ never  _ had the brightest ideas, which is why he’d never been the alpha of their friend group. However, she did miss her old friends. And if she were being honest, Kallik was much more tolerable with the rest of the group there to make fun of him. 

“That actually sounds like fun,” she said. “We’ll clean up and join you. Is it still at the Spirit’s Lounge?” 

“Yup. See you there!” Kallik turned around and marched away. 

“Ski party?” Asami asked, concern painted across her rosy face. “We… we aren’t going skiing, are we?” 

“No,” Korra assured her. “It’s just a party. There’s a really sweet bar on the edge of town near the slopes. They make bank on days like this, when the rest of the town shuts down. A lot of people like to ski for sport, and after we all gather there for drinks and stuff.”

“Oh, good,” Asami sighed. “I don’t think I can handle being out in this cold much longer.” 

“It’s a short walk,” Korra promised her. “Let’s get you inside. We’ll need to change if we’re going to this party.”

* * *

When Korra had been in high school, she and her friends had been pretty into the skiing scene. In the years leading up to her move to Republic City, she’d spent many of her weekends on the slopes.  This was back during a time where the drinking age was 16, and their younger selves had _definitely_ taken advantage of this (whether this had caused lasting brain damage was still up for debate). 

She straightened her outfit as she looked in the mirror. She had a very specific style for when it came to parties like these - casual, but cool. Relaxed, but eye-catching. She had a light blue hoodie, topped with a dark blue jacket, and jeans, and a plain white t-shirt underneath just for the sake of insurance. It would probably end up being a little too cold, but that was a risk she was willing to take. 

She was putting on a stylish gray beanie when there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Come in,” she called, brushing her fringe in the right direction.  _ Perfect.  _

“I’m ready!” Asami’s announcement was punctuated by the squeaking of the door. “What do you think? Is this going to be good?”

Korra turned to her, ready to give a critical eye, but had to stop as she looked over Asami’s outfit. She had started with a white sweater, tucked into a gray skirt, over black leggings, with a cute pair of boots. She’d topped it all with a large, red plaid scarf and black earmuffs. It was a look that probably wasn’t going to be replicated by anyone else in the city, but was very flattering on Asami, and would absolutely work for the party. 

“Uh… a-are you going to be… warm enough?” Korra stammered.

“Well, the leggings are fleece and the earmuffs are fur. And I have a nice, long black coat to go with it. So I think so.” She flashed a smile on freshly painted red lips. 

“T-then you look great,” Korra answered candidly.

“Thank you!” Asami approached her and looked her up and down. “I like it,” she said, tugging at the drawstrings of Korra’s hoodie. “It’s very cute but also  _ you,  _ y’know?” 

“Thanks,” Korra laughed. Wait, was that saying what she wore usually wasn’t cute? 

“Are we ready to go then?”

“I think so.” Korra grabbed her phone and slid the lock screen. “My parents say to have fun and drink responsibly… ha. They must be thinking from my party days.” She chuckled, putting her phone in her pocket. She led Asami out of the bathroom and grabbed a pair of gloves while Asami put on her coat. 

“Your party days?” she inquired as she buttoned the front. “When exactly were you a partier?” 

“Oh, mid high school,” Korra shrugged. “Before senior year at Republic City.” At Asami’s questioning look, she continued. “Me and the gang would often ski and then throw some rager after parties. It’s a bit embarrassing now, but I used to get  _ pretty  _ hammered.” 

“That’s crazy,” she laughed. “You barely ever drink nowadays!” 

“Let’s just say, that’s a very conscious choice,” she teased. Honestly, she really did get plastered back in the day, and she did do some pretty stupid things, but that wasn’t the entire reason she’d mostly stopped drinking. She had fallen into a dangerous habit during her recovery a few years prior and had gotten a very firm talking to from Katara. At the time her body had been so ill that the alcohol was honestly damaging it, not to mention all the medicine she’d been on that shouldn’t have been mixed with it. She’d never fully quit, but as her lifestyle changed to trying to regain/maintain her health, she just didn’t have room for it. She was only a social drinker these days, if at all. She was just lucky it had never spiraled into addiction…

But that was a long time ago, and this was now. “Ready?” she asked, and Asami nodded. Without further ado she opened the door and they started their trek to the Spirit’s Lounge.

* * *

“Hey look! It’s Korra!” 

The entire table cheered as they approached it. In an already loud and rowdy tavern, it was almost overwhelming. She waved, laughing nervously. 

“When did you get here?” someone asked. Korra recognized her as Kirima. 

“Just a few days ago, we-”

“Who’s your friend?” 

“And is she single?” That was her old buddy Nutaikok. He ran his hand through his hair, sleazy smirk across his face. 

“This is Asami,” she answered. “No, she is not single, and I still remember how to kick you in the balls, Nuta.” 

“Hey!” he exclaimed, putting his hands up in defense. “What’s with the attitude, huh? A fella’s just asking!”

“Cause that’s her  _ girlfriend,  _ dummy!” Kallik smacked Nuta in the back of the head.  _ Thank the Spirits he’s still cool.  _

“Woah, girlfriend?!” Ikiaq spoke for the first time. “Kor, you never told us you were gay! Or that you could snag an 11, for that matter!” 

A few cheers resounded and Korra blushed. She’d been sort of hoping to avoid this, since she wasn’t with her parents tonight, but it seemed that everyone in Harbor City was invested in her love life. “Well, I didn’t know either. But here she is.”

“Asami,” Kirima said, as if tasting the name on her tongue. “Oh! Isn’t that the same name as that fancy inventor girl I read about in the newspaper?” Her eyes widened as she spoke. “Have you heard about her? She donated a whole line of Ice-Conscious Satomobiles to our city a few years back.” 

“We’ve heard of her,” Korra said carefully. It was true - at least everybody in Republic City was somehow  _ obsessed  _ with Asami. 

“Asami’s actually a pretty common name,” Asami said. Whether or not that was a lie, Korra would have to ask. 

“C’mon, Korra doesn’t care about that nonsense,” Nuta sighed. “She’s a fancy city girl now, with a fancy city girlfriend. She probably drives a brand-made Satomobile everyday!”

Korra opened her mouth to say that she didn’t drive but was cut off. 

“You’re right! Korra does live in the city!” Kirima’s attention was back to her. “I’ll bet you’ve both met tons of celebrities!” 

“We are friends with a movie star,” Korra agreed. Well, she would never think of Bolin as a movie star, but technically he was the star of the most popular movie in the Southern Hemisphere. “We actually went to university together. His name is Bolin and-”

“Wait, Bolin?” Ikiaq asked. “As in,  _ the  _ Bolin? From  _ Nuktuk: Hero of the South _ ?!” 

“Er, yeah. That’s Bolin.” 

“But is he single?” She was surprised as Nuta cut in, a very sincere look in his eyes. 

“No,” she said, now feeling apologetic. “But he has a brother we could try to set you up with. He’s an asshole who never has luck with women, so you’d probably get along.” 

“Hey!” Nuta groaned. “Listen, I know I’ve never been the most polite person, but I’ve been going to therapy! I’m not entirely an asshole.” 

“Unfortunately, he’s right,” Kallik said. “He’s been doing better since they figured out that his weird and off-putting behavior is actually a shield for him to hide behind to avoid rejection. Now he is usually better.” He gave him a side-eye. “Usually.” 

“Oh, and I’m bi,” Nuta added. “My therapist said I should be more open about it to people that I’m comfortable with, as it’s something I’ve deeply resented about myself growing up.”

“We know, Nuta,” Ikiaq cooed, patting his leg. “And you’re doing a very good job. But we’re still on Korra!” 

The interrogation continued for a while longer with nobody connecting the dots that Asami was actually a rich inventor. Eventually Kallik mentioned that they hadn’t even offered the girls a drink. “Come on!” Kirima insisted. “Let us buy you something!” 

Korra shared a look with Asami (again, rich inventor) but all she got was a subtle shake of her head. “Are you sure? We can both pay for ourselves.” She’d brought her spare holiday cash. 

“Yes,” Kirima said again. “I’ve taken over the bait shop since my dad retired a few years ago. I’m not a brilliant CEO or anything, but I’m comfortable enough to buy a beer for an old friend.” 

Korra ended up ordering just that - a reliable old brew. It was the first drink she’d ever tried and contained the perfect amount of alcohol: enough to satisfy her while not getting her anywhere near drunk. She glanced to Asami, waiting for her to make her order. 

“What is…” she squinted at the menu (only now did Korra realize she must have forgotten her reading glasses at home), “the Cold, Stony Breath of the Sea?” 

Korra’s eyes widened. “You don’t want that,” she said quickly. 

Kallik butted in. “It is the strongest drink they sell,” he explained. “Named after the sea, since its original use was to be scrubbed on boats to keep them from rusting.” 

“That’s all hearsay,” Ikiaq argued. “It was actually made back when a group of tribesmen set out to explore the cold, icy tundra. It was brewed with the sole intention to keep them from freezing in the night. And it’s named because it was brewed on a cliff overlooking the sea above the town.” 

“No, no, no,” Nuta sighed. “You’re both wrong. It was created by a man who was outcast from the tribe as a baby and raised by a pack of polar-bear dogs in the wild. When he returned to society to confront the family that had rejected him so long ago, he took a job at a brewery, and through misunderstanding of what he was meant to be doing, brewed the strongest, toughest brew in the South. They say the pain and torment from all his years in the tundra, as well as his experiences from being raised as a feral animal, contorted into a brew that only he could stomach. It was named because the sailors, who also enjoyed strong alcohol, cried when they tasted it and declared it was as ruthless as the unforgiving sea.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Kirima countered. “It was made by accident, but that’s just what it was! Accident. The story was fabricated once it became popular amongst sailors and dumb teenagers.” 

“It doesn’t matter!” Korra exclaimed. “It’s ridiculously strong. I tried it once and that was the worst hangover of my  _ life. _ ” She shuddered at the mere memory. “Unless you have a deathwish, you do not want it.” 

Asami’s lip was twitching in a way that made Korra very, very nervous. “I don’t know, it sounds good,” she contemplated, much to the group’s horror. “And it can’t be that bad. After all, my ancestors are also known for their alcohol.” She took out some cash and discreetly slipped it to the bartender. “I’ll have the Cold, Stony Breath of the Sea.”

“Oh Spirits,” Ikiaq whispered.

“She’s fucked.” 

“Your girlfriend’s brave,” Nuta said, his voice hushed. 

“She’s definitely something,” Korra agreed, though she wasn’t sure brave was the right word. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra meets up with some old friends for a night on the town, but things start to go downhill when the group insists they dance. Will our hero survive the turbulence of alcohol, music, and a very hot fake girlfriend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a doozy! I spent a long time on this and even had to rewrite the entire thing at one point. I had to reread it a few times to make sure it really felt right. SoSwede says it's her favorite chapter so... enjoy! The song referenced is obviously Yellow by Coldplay which is one of my favorite songs and, in my opinion, really sets the mood for the chapter (I do not own the song like legally so I guess I should say that).

It took a few minutes for the bartender to finish their drinks. Once they had gotten theirs, Korra and Asami migrated back to the table. “I still can’t believe you ordered that,” she chuckled, eyeing the dangerous brew as it threatened the rim of it’s glass. 

“I can’t believe you have such little faith in me,” Asami teased. “Come on, Korra. How many times have you seen me hungover?”

She had a point; even when they’d gone out drinking in Republic City and crashed at one of their places, Asami was usually the one brewing coffee first thing in the morning. She’d always assumed she was just good at hiding it. 

“Still, that stuff is legendary,” Korra replied. “Be careful. I don’t know that I could face my parents if we came home trashed tonight.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” They took their seats and Asami took a very deliberate sip of her drink. Her face scrunched slightly and she clicked her tongue (Korra had to hold back her laughter, because the first time she’d tried it she’d spit it all over the table). “No wonder they have all those stories. It’s a very… acquired taste.” 

“Do you need some juice or something?” Korra asked. That had been the only way she was able to get it down. 

Much to her surprise, Asami shook her head. “It’s good. I like my coffee black and my alcohol strong.”

Korra laughed. “Yeah, say that again when you’re sipping fruity drinks in an hour.” 

“Diversity is the spice of life, Korra. Don’t come crying to me when you’re feeling bland.” She took another sip, making very deliberate eye contact with Korra. 

_ That woman has a death wish. _

* * *

By the time Korra had finished her beer, the party had picked up. The band was setting up and a group of people had started making their way toward the dance floor. However, since it had been so long since they’d honestly seen each other, Korra was still catching up with her friends. 

For a while she’d talked with Kirima about the bait shop, but eventually broke off when she started having a very in-depth discussion about marketing with Asami. She’d found herself talking to Kallik who, much to her surprise, was actually married. 

“And you still spend all your time skiing with your friends?” she teased. 

“Ha, no,” he laughed. “We usually ski together. I actually was going to stay in tonight until I saw that you were in town. Ahnah was nice enough to stay home with our daughter.” He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. When he presented it to Korra, there was a picture of him and a tired woman holding a newborn wrapped in furs. 

“Ahnah? The one that was a grade above us?” Korra asked. They hadn’t really talked with her in school but she remembered the name. 

“Yeah. We ended up working together at the ice rink. One thing led to another and, well,” he took the phone back to find another picture. “Our girl - Alasie, that’s her name - she’s almost two now.” He had a picture of her, a toddler, on little skis, her mother holding her arms and smiling at the camera. “She loves being outside! We think she’s going to be just like me, knowing all the trouble I used to get into.” He shook his head as he put his phone down. 

“We did get into a lot of mischief,” Korra agreed, remembering how much grief she had put her parents through. “Spirits, I hope if I ever have kids that they don’t end up like me.” 

“What’s wrong with you?” Kallik asked. “You’re awesome!” 

“I’m a handful,” Korra pointed out. “I’ve probably aged my parents fifty years since I was born! All the sneaking around I used to do? And then when I had my accident and had to live with them for three years?” 

“Yeah, but you’re really cool,” Kallik pointed out. “Like, you still come back to see them. You keep in touch with all your old pals, even though you don’t have to. And you’re the life of the party! This place hasn’t been the same without you!” He nodded to the rest of their group, who were all chattering happily. “Not to mention, you made yourself a life on your own in the big city. That’s something none of us could’ve done. And now you have a cool girlfriend.” 

She looked at Asami across the table from her, who was about three quarters of the way through her drink. Ikiaq had joined her conversation with Kirima. While she couldn’t tell what they were talking about, they all seemed really invested. Asami laughed louder than usual and lifted her glass. As she drank, her eyes made contact with Korra’s and she blushed (probably just the alcohol). Asami smiled and licked her lips before reluctantly tearing her gaze back to the girls. 

“Yeah, I guess I am pretty lucky, huh?”

“I’d say,” Kallik said, a cheeky smile on his face as she turned back to him. “There’s nothing quite like that feeling, is there?” 

She blinked. “W-what feeling?” 

“Oh, y’know,” he nudged her subtly and winked. “The good ol’ L-O-V-E.” 

She blushed and tried to inch away from him. “I don’t  _ love _ Asami,” she defended, instincts kicking in a little too hard. Instead of calling her bluff over the fake relationship, Kallik just rolled his eyes.

“Of course, Korra. Because you just casually bring people home for the holidays to meet your parents.I mean, you didn’t even bring that other guy you dated! What was his name? Marco? It doesn’t matter.” 

“Mako,” Korra sighed. She wasn’t sure where to go from there. She couldn’t truthfully say anything else without outing their hoax. Like, of course she loved Asami. She was her best friend. Just… not like that. She felt the need to specify that she was not  _ in  _ love with Asami. Biting back her pride, she decided to just tell him what he wanted to hear. “I guess you’re right. She is pretty great. I’m very lucky to have her in my life.” 

He nodded, eyes a bit steamy (he’d always been an emotional drinker). “Say, why don’t you two join us for dinner sometime? I’d be honored if you could meet my family.” 

“That sounds like fun,” Korra agreed. “I’ll see what my parents have planned. But I’m sure we can do that in the next few days.” She smiled sheepishly and he returned it. Oh Kallik, always the soft-hearted one. Alone he wasn’t much of a partier - they’d always ended up talking more than anything. Now that she was getting older, she appreciated it much more. 

“Hey! Korra!” Asami hollered, leaning over the table. “We’re going to get a round for the table! Bring your arms!” 

“Okay,” Korra laughed, carefully standing. Asami had clearly finished her drink, meaning she was probably going to start dancing if she ran out of things to do. Korra was historically a terrible dancer and would do anything to avoid that. “What are we getting?” she asked as they approached the bar.

“Uh… I don’t know.” The smile on Asami’s face was mischievous, but sweet. Korra felt her heart in her throat as Asami took her hand. “We’ll see.” 

* * *

Rum. It was rum.

Rum punch, to be exact. A delicious, fruity option, especially compared to Asami’s first choice. Korra hadn’t intended to actually finish the drink, but before she knew it, she was at the bottom of the glass. Despite the drink seeming to have gone fast, Asami was talking about ordering shots with the other two girls. 

“Uh, Asami, maybe you should slow down,” she suggested. She knew her friend wasn’t a lightweight, but she hadn’t planned on going this hard tonight. 

“Relax Korra,” Asami said, dopey smile plastered across her face. “Just havin’ some fun.” Her eyes flashed and Korra knew what she was about to say. “Guys, we should dance!” 

Before she could open her mouth to object, the rest of the group was voicing their support. 

“That sounds fun!”

“Yeah, the band is good tonight.”

“Come on, guys!” 

“Korra, that means you!”

She sighed but couldn’t help the smile creeping across her face. If anyone could make dancing fun, it would be these losers. “Alright, fine. I’ll dance.” 

Usually she would’ve needed a lot more alcohol before joining her friends on the dance floor. They always teased her that she was a great dancer when she was drunk, which was absolute bullshit. The only times she’d ever thrived with dancing was a few rare moments in Republic City, when one of the crew danced with her. Still, she let herself enjoy the beat of the music, swaying slightly along with it. “Is this a new band?” she asked Nuta, who was closest to her. 

“Nah, they’re in town for the festival.” He’d crossed his arms and was looking around. “I’m gonna find someone to dance with. Make sure your girlfriend doesn’t fall over.” 

“Hey!” she snapped, before realizing Asami had actually tripped. “Oh shit.” Within a heartbeat she was at her friend’s side, holding her arm. “Are you okay? Maybe we should head out-”

“I’m good,” Asami laughed, her free hand resting over one of Korra’s on her arm. “Just a bit over excited.” She pulled from Korra’s grip but grabbed both of her hands, eyes twinkling. “But now you  _ have  _ to dance with me!”

A few drops of sweat were already starting to form on the back of Korra’s neck. She was way too overdressed for any sort of physical activity. “Okay, just let me take off this hoodie,” she suggested. Asami compromised and released her. 

She returned to their table and took off the hoodie and the jacket.  _ Shit, does this mean I actually have to dance?  _ She’d been hoping to get away with bobbing awkwardly.  _ It was getting warm in here anyway.  _ She thanked the spirits for wearing a t-shirt. By the time she made it back to the group, Asami seemed to have forgotten about her. She was dancing playfully with Kallik, both beaming cheek-to-cheek. Korra sighed in relief, just a moment too soon as Asami noticed her once again. 

“Oh, hey! Perfect timing!” She pointed to the band. “This is a good song! C’mon!” 

“Alright.” Her friends were grooving, all separate but together. Had there been some sort of coordinated dance lesson she’d missed as a kid? If that was the case, then how did Asami know it? When was the last time she’d even been to a bar? “Uh, Asami? How exactly… how should I dance?” 

Asami stilled slightly, eyes squinting as if trying to decipher what Korra meant by that. “Just… however feels best to you. This isn’t your first time dancing, Korra. Are you sure that  _ you’re  _ not drunk?” She got a small laugh for her efforts. 

“No, but I… it’s just been awhile,” she tried to explain. “I don’t quite remember.” And now she was so self-conscious that, even if she did, she wasn’t sure she’d want to. 

“Spirits, Kor. Come here!” She held out her hands, motioning for Korra to approach. As she did, Asami took her hands. “Just start by feeling the beat. Can you feel it?” 

It would’ve been hard not to, as the percussionist was hammering his bass drum on stage. She nodded silently and bobbed her head to the beat. Asami mirrored the movement. 

“Nice! Now let your feet in on it.” Asami swayed, carrying the movement fluidly in her shoulders. Korra fell into the rhythm with her, entranced by the soft curve of Asami’s muscled arms. “See? You’ve got this!” 

“It’s feeling better,” Korra admitted, letting herself smile. This was beginning to feel like fun. “What’s next?” 

“Hmmm.” Asami’s eyes trailed down, inspecting her. “Well, uh. You’re doing good but you’re a bit stiff. Try using your hips.” 

“My what?”

“Your hips!” Asami wiggled her hips slightly. Korra’s mouth felt very dry. “Just roll them. Like this.” She demonstrated. For some reason, that really didn’t help - Korra could not seem to concentrate on her own hip movements. 

“Um, how about this?” 

“Spirits, no!” Asami laughed heartily. “No more like this.” She released Korra’s hands and set her hands on Korra’s hips, tugging ever so slightly. 

Suddenly Asami’s hips were the least of her worries. Korra felt a bit dizzy as she tried to mimic the movements Asami was making.  _ Am I getting sick? Maybe I should sit down for a bit.  _ Asami let go of her hips, nodding, watching her intently. Stepping away was quite quickly the last thing on Korra’s mind. 

“What do you think?” Korra asked, still mimicking Asami's movements. 

“V-very good.” Asami flushed - Korra realized she must have left her scarf at the table. The white sweater had a lower cut than she’d been expecting; she was suddenly quite alarmed to realize she could see the top of Asami’s chest. She probably would’ve gotten stuck there if, at that exact moment, the song hadn’t ended with a loud round of applause. 

“This next song goes out to my girl, and everyone else here in love tonight,” the lead guitarist announced. “Whether she’s your best friend, your soulmate, or both; cherish the time you have together, and remember it when you’re apart.” 

The opening of the song started. Korra recognized it almost instantly from her teenage angst phase - Yellow, Coldplay. Obviously this was just a cover, but as the percussion hit, she couldn’t help but remember the feeling deep in her gut. It reminded her of her first weeks in Republic City, when she had met and started crushing on Mako (how embarrassing - the song was too good to ruin by stapling Mako to it. She’d since made peace with the song but it still wasn’t fair). 

She looked around and realized the dancers around them were pairing off. When she met Asami’s gaze, she couldn’t exactly identify the look in the girl’s eyes.  _ She’s my best friend,  _ Korra’s mildly inebriated brain remembered.  _ And as far as these guys are aware, she’s my soulmate.  _ She held up her hand, inviting Asami to dance. Asami smiled. “Like this,” she instructed, pulling Korra’s hands up to her shoulders and resting hers on Korra’s hips. A chill ran down her spine. She tried to ignore it as the lyrics started.

_ “Look at the stars, _

_ Look how they shine for you, _

_ And everything you do, _

_ Yeah they were all yellow.”  _

Asami was leading, her hands gently coaxing Korra to follow her. Korra could feel her heart pounding in her chest; blood pumping through her veins at a rate which was completely unnecessary considering that she was barely moving, let alone exercising. They were nearing the chorus and Asami’s grip tightened, pulling her closer. Her friend’s green eyes were so close that she couldn’t quite read them, only gaze into them as they stared back at hers. 

_ “So then I took my turn, _

_ Oh what a thing to have done, _

_ And it was all yellow.” _

As the chorus took it away, Asami grabbed her wrist and released her, pulling herself out of Korra’s grip to do a (mildly) graceful spin. Korra stopped to stare, briefly awestruck. The trance was broken as Asami stumbled on her own feet. “Spirits!” Korra yelped, quickly grabbing Asami’s other arm and pulling her close. “Be careful!”

“C’mon, Korra,” Asami draped her arms over Korra’s shoulders, leaning in so close that Korra could feel her breath on her lips. “Relax. You need to enjoy yourself.”

“I am,” Korra assured her, shaky hands finding purchase at the girl’s waist (she hoped Asami didn’t realize they were shaking). She wasn’t entirely sure what had gotten into her, but she had a bad feeling as her gaze kept finding its way to the girl’s red lips. “I’m just… worried.” Yes, that’s what it was. “What we’re doing - does it look natural?”

Asami’s eyes - glittering and alive - seemed to dull. “Natural?” she asked. 

“Y-yes,” Korra breathed. “Is this… is this what we should do? What a couple does?” 

_ “Your skin,  _

_ Oh yeah your skin and bones, _

_ Turn into something beautiful.” _

Asami’s hand was on the back of her neck, fingers idly twisting themselves in her hair. “I don’t know,” she whispered. Something about her eyes were so big and sad - but Korra couldn’t comprehend why they would be. But they seemed to be inquiring with her, pleading even, as she gazed at her; a look Korra could only ponder as her brain fumbled with the most basic of tasks. “What do you think, Korra? What feels natural?” 

_ “You know, you know I love you so. _

_ You know I love you so.”  _

The answer was the racing of Korra’s heart; the chill that ran down her spine. It was the way her hands tightened as, without even really knowing what she was doing, Korra pulled Asami forward and kissed her. It had been so many years since Korra had actually kissed someone, she was sure she’d forgotten what it felt like; because nothing she could remember ever came as boldly or as sweetly as the feeling of Asami’s lips pressed against her own. Not just that, of course, she realized as Asami’s free hand had cupped her cheek and pulled her in. She gladly let herself melt into the embrace, her arms tightening around Asami’s waist, bringing her even closer. 

Somehow, in that moment, Korra managed to lose herself. Suddenly she was a teenager again, making out with someone in the bar late at night when she most definitely shouldn’t be out. It was like reliving that first time all over again with much more vivid detail, such as the stunning softness of her partner’s lips, or the tempting curve of their body pressed so closely to hers. But of course, as she broke away to breathe and opened her eyes, the person staring back at her was not just some guy - it was her best friend. Her beautiful, amazing, awesome best friend, who had put her entire life on hold to do her a favor.  _ A favor.  _

_ “I swam across,  _

_ I jumped across for you,  _

_ Oh what a thing to do,  _

_ Cause you were all yellow.”  _

No words came to her as her body seemed to tremble. Of course, it was an act. They had performed their act and now it was done. She nodded very vaguely at Asami, unable to help herself from sparing another glance to her lips. “That.. t-that…” Nothing. For everything she could have said, she said nothing.  _ Seriously?!  _ How long had it honestly been since she’d kissed someone? Well, she hadn’t actually tried dating since before the accident so… okay yeah that was a good few years. Until this moment she hadn’t felt as if she’d been missing anything, but now… 

She struggled to focus as she realized she still had no clue how Asami had reacted. Would she be mad at Korra for taking advantage of her like that? Had she even known this was going to happen when she agreed to do this? Korra hadn’t. But Asami’s expression was impenetrable - stony as she stared somewhere below Korra’s gaze. When her eyes flicked up to meet hers, they were clouded; as if she were also scrambling for something to say. In hope to draw something out, Korra asked, “Well?”

Asami’s answer was rather clear as she forcefully pulled Korra in to kiss her again. 

_ “Your skin,  _

_ Oh yeah your skin and bones, _

_ Turn into something beautiful, _

_ And you know, _

_ For you I’d bleed myself dry, _

_ For you I’d bleed myself dry.”  _

Her tongue was soft and her mouth tasted of alcohol. With anyone else that would’ve been a warning, but with Asami it seemed to be an invitation. Any inhibitions she may have harbored seemed to wash away, leaving Korra to her curiosity. Her hands settled on Asami’s hips and held firmly, not willing to let go. Her lips moved slowly with hers - languidly - as if they were both savoring it. Her entire body seemed to be pounding in beat with her racing heart; there was nothing she wanted to do more than continue to kiss the beautiful girl in her arms. 

_ “Look at the stars,  _

_ Look how they shine for you, _

_ And everything you do.”  _

Applause broke out all around them, drawing a reluctant Korra away from the kiss. She panted softly, brain still reeling to catch up with what had just happened. Asami was beaming, cheeks red and eyes bright as her smile met them. Korra felt like she should say something - literally anything to solidify the reality of what just happened - but as her tongue fumbled with the words, Kirima interrupted them. 

“Hey, lovebirds! Come on! We’ve got shots!” 

Korra startled, letting go of her friend. Before she had time to even ask what kind of shots, Asami had grabbed her wrist and was pulling her to the table. “C’mon,” she said, handing Korra one of the blue glasses. “The party’s not over yet.”

* * *

By the time the party was over, Korra’s bones were aching. It had been years since she’d been out so late. Between her old friends and a drunk Asami, it was after 3:00 before they were able to leave. She put her jacket and hoodie back on while also trying making sure Asami left with everything she’d come with. 

“I’ve got it,” Asami said, her voice slightly slurred as she handed her card to the bartender. “For the tab.” When he gave her the receipt, Korra noticed her leave a very generous tip. “C’mon, Kor. Let’s go.”

The moon was already edging it’s way towards the horizon, but the stars were bright and beautiful as always. There were only a few street lamps in the city and, as they broke off the main roads, they found themselves on a street lit only by the glow of the mostly full moon. 

“You were right,” Asami sighed, “the stars are so pretty out here.”

“I know.” Asami had taken her hand when they left the bar and she hadn’t stopped thinking about it for the last ten minutes. “Everything is different down here. It’s amazing. I can’t believe it.”

“Everything  _ is  _ different,” Asami agreed. Her pace slowed. “Speaking of which… we’re supposed to be a couple, right?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Korra said quietly. Oh Spirits, had she overstepped their boundaries? The shame rushed through her so instantly that she had to ignore her instincts to derail the conversation (and run). 

“Well I was thinking. As a couple… I mean, couples usually have a bit of experience in the department...” Korra blinked at her blankly - she was making no sense. She seemed to pick up on her confusion. “Oh! Like… kissing. Y’know? So I was thinking; maybe we should… well, uh. Maybe do more of that.”

Asami’s cheeks seemed a shade redder, even in spite of the chilly breeze. 

“Wait - so like, kiss?” Korra’s mouth suddenly seemed quite dry. “You want us to kiss?”

“Yes,” she said. “Uh… for the role, y’know?” Her clarification fell on deaf ears, as Korra was already imagining it.  _ For the role.  _

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Korra agreed. “We should do that. But I’m a bit rusty. Maybe we should… I don’t know… practice?” 

Asami’s brow furrowed, a slightly mischievous smile creeping across her face. “Practice?”

Korra’s face burned but she tried to remain stoic. “Yes. I think we’re out of practice.” As Asami gave her a very specific look, she rushed on, “Me! I’m out of practice!”

“Well, let’s see.” They’d just crossed the road and were on Korra’s parent’s property. Asami had a very large air about her - as if she were about to prove herself right. “If I were your well-practiced girlfriend, I would take both your hands.” She grabbed Korra’s other hand, pulling her up the driveway. “And lead you to the house.” 

“That doesn’t require very much skill,” Korra pointed out, grinning cheekily. Her heart felt light. 

“Yeah,” Asami agreed. “But since we’d be dating, it would be special.” She stepped onto the snow-covered porch, a few feet from the door. At this point she stopped, looking at Korra carefully. 

“Special how?” Korra asked, her voice more of a rasp. 

“Because…” Asami brought her in closer, looming above her ever so slightly. “I would tell you something really cheesy. Like that I enjoyed hanging out with you and your childhood friends tonight. Followed by a total line. Such as…” she bit her lip. “Uh, something about how hot you are in that shirt.” 

Korra giggled, flushed. “Perhaps you really do know how to woo a girl.” They stood there for a moment, both as frozen as the land that surrounded them. “So, is that all you’ve got, Sato? All talk no bite?” 

Asami released her hand, index finger softly coaxing Korra’s chin up toward her. “Not necessarily,” she murmured. “Once in a while, you just gotta let your lips do the talking.” 

Korra would have noted that, technically, lips usually  _ do _ do the talking, but as soon as Asami kissed her she couldn’t have cared less. Her lips were cold compared to earlier - body much warmer in contrast to the arctic night. Korra melted into her easily, not entirely sure where her body stopped and Asami’s began. The girl’s hand carefully wrapped around her neck in what felt like an intimate gesture. While the kiss was much gentler than the others they’d shared that evening, it left her craving so much more. As Asami pulled back, gazing at her softly, Korra found herself fighting the urge to kiss her again. 

“Like that.” 

“Nice,” Korra huffed softly. “I mean, that was pretty good.” 

“ _ Pretty good _ ?” Asami’s brow cocked. “That was one of my best moves! Don’t tell me you would do better?” 

“Oh Spirits, no.” Korra rested her forehead against Asami’s, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry this is all just… a lot. It’s been a long time since I kissed… well, anyone, really.” 

Asami seemed to tense in front of her. “How long?” 

“Um…” she thought on that for a moment, her exhausted brain cringing as she realized the answer. “I would have to say since I broke up with Mako. So at least five years.” 

When there was no response, she backed away from Asami. The girl’s face was blank, frozen in shock. 

“A - Asami?”

“That’s… a long time.” 

“What? Like you’re such a player?” Korra teased, insecurities creeping up on her. “I can’t even remember the last time you were in a relationship!” 

“I guess it has been awhile.” Asami smiled softly. “Not Mako long, of course. I have  _ some  _ dignity.” 

“Hey!” 

They were giggling as Korra unlocked the door, Asami stumbling in behind her. The lights were off. She signaled to her friend to be quiet and they crept into their bedroom. 

Korra took off her jacket and bra and exchanged her jeans for a pair of comfy sweats. When she turned around, she was relieved to see Asami had also changed into loungewear. She crawled into the bed beside her, tired muscles exhaling as they met the relief of the mattress. She closed her eyes and was happily dozing off when she realized the bed seemed to be quivering.

“Asami?”

“S-s-sorry,” a soft voice replied. “It’s a bit c-c-c-cold. H-haven’t warmed up.” 

Korra rolled over, not entirely thinking as she scooted towards Asami’s shivering body. “Here,” she murmured, draping her arm over Asami’s waist and nuzzling her hair. “Warm.” 

“Thanks,” Asami breathed. 

Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps the long night, but Korra wouldn’t think twice about it until the morning. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years ago, in a city far away, two very different people from very different places became unlikely friends. This is a reminder that we can't always tell where life is going to take us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm a giant tease. OR, I have tons of good shit coming up in the gay sense, but first... let's take a step back to our roots. 
> 
> I strongly believe every story is a love story. Love is the driving force behind everything we've done as a species - from the love we feel for our friends, our pets, and sometimes even a romantic partner. I wanted to put in a memory to remind us of why this love is significant. Idk I'm kinda a sappy bitch. Anyway, enjoy

**_Republic City, Six Years Previous._ **

_ From every direction, tall buildings loomed above her, intimidating her. She had been sure this was the direction the merchant had pointed her in, though the narrowing streets and crumbling pavement seemed to tell another story. The night air was muggy, despite the fact that the sun had gone down hours ago, and Korra couldn’t make heads from tails if she was actually in the right place.  _ Spirits, I’m going to get lost down here.  _ Hopefully Tenzin wouldn’t notice if she was a little late….  _

_ She eventually took out her phone and tried to find the navigation system Mako had been talking about earlier that week. While she found the map, it kept telling her she needed Wi-Fi to access it.  _ How stupid.  _ They’d insisted she get a modern phone and it didn’t even work. What was the point of the damn thing?! She shoved it back in her pocket, frustration growing exponentially. She could feel her eyes starting to tear up and swallowed nervously.  _ Don’t cry, Korra. You’re an adult in a new city. You’re not a kid anymore. You need to stop acting like one. 

_ “Uh, Korra?”  _

_ Korra jumped, startled, as she realized someone had stopped on the road directly next to her. She held up her arms, ready to defend herself, when the door of the car opened and a familiar face exited. “Asami?” she asked, nerves fading into annoyance.  _ What does that prissy brat want?  _ “What are you doing here?”  _

_ “I was just on my way home from…” The heiress shook her head, concern painted across her delicate features. “Wait, no. That doesn’t matter. What are  _ you  _ doing here?”  _

_ “Uh, I live here,” Korra reminded her, rather rudely. “Am I not allowed to walk around my own city?” _

_ “I mean, you certainly can.” Asami put her hand on her hip and frowned. “But I meant what are you doing  _ here _?” _

_ Korra blinked. Since she didn’t know where she was, she couldn’t seem to come up with a good answer. “Just.. enjoying the sights.” She shifted her weight between her legs.  _

_ “It’s really not safe here,” Asami explained. “This is no place for you to be wandering alone. Especially at night.” She looked back to her car, casting a nervous glance at Korra. “Would you let me give you a ride? At least to someplace safer?”  _

_ Korra was going to refuse - because she didn’t need the help of a spoiled rich girl - but stopped short when she remembered she was actually very lost. “I guess,” she sighed.  _

_ Asami beamed at her, curdling Korra’s stomach. “Awesome! Let’s get out of here before we both end up on the front of the paper.”  _

* * *

_ Being stuck in a car with Asami was… bearable; if just barely.  _

_ “Where do you want me to take you?” the girl asked, eyes focused on the road ahead of them.  _

_ “Just take me back to Avatar Park,” she sighed. “I can get back from there.”  _

_ A lengthy silence followed the comment. Korra wondered if Asami was aware of her qualms with her.  _ Well, that would be awkward.  _ Hopefully they could just make it through the car ride without any metaphorical bumps in the road- _

_ “So, what were you doing way out in Agni Kai Territory in the middle of the night?”  _

_ The car hit a pothole and jolted Korra nearly out of her seat. “I was exploring. I guess I took a wrong turn.”  _

_ “I’d say,” Asami sighed, voice uncharacteristically heavy. “You don’t want to be messing with those people. If you would drop the act and just tell me where you were trying to get, I could show you actual directions so you don’t wind up there again.”  _

_ Korra’s face burned, shame welling in her chest.  _ She is just trying to help me. I’m being really rude. It’s not like she has actually done anything to actively spite me.  _ Well, except kissing Mako… but Korra knew that wasn’t about her.  _

_ “I was looking for the beach,” she murmured. Somehow, actually admitting it made her feel that much more defeated.  _

_ “Oh.” That was all Asami said. When Korra glanced at her, she was still concentrated ahead. “Well, that’s easy enough. I can take you there.”  _

_ The next few minutes were spent in complete and utter silence. On one hand, it was the most awkward car ride of Korra’s life (though that didn’t say much, as she’d only ridden in a car a select few times). On the other hand, the silence was comfortable - not forced. In fact, the only reason it got on Korra’s nerves was because she considered this woman her enemy; the breaker of hearts (at least in terms of Korra’s). No, she’d never done anything to suggest she harbored ill feelings towards Korra… in fact she’d always been rather pleasant to her… but still. She didn’t trust Asami Sato. Not one bit.  _

_ “We’re here.” Asami shifted the car into park in a spot overlooking a quiet stretch of sand. “I don’t know what the South is like, but I still wouldn’t go out there alone,” Asami said softly. “Is there something you wanted out here?”  _

_ “No,” Korra murmured, a sharp ache in her heart. She could just see the water as it rolled up to meet the beach. “I just… wanted to see it.”  _

_ Silence fell again between them. This time, however, Asami seemed determined to break it. “Well c’mon then.” She opened the door. Korra hastily did the same, following her as she walked briskly toward the shore.  _

_ “Asami! What are you doing?”  _

_ “We are seeing the beach!” Asam looked back at her. “That’s what you want, right?”  _

_ “I… I don’t know.” Her chest tightened. “Why… why are you helping me?” _

_ Asami stopped in her tracks. “Why? Why wouldn’t I?” _

_ “I’ve been nothing but rude to you since we met. Why would you help me now?”  _

_ Korra turned away from the girl, unable to bear what was coming next. There were a few footsteps in the sand approaching her, then a hand on her shoulder. “You are a friend of Mako’s,” Asami said carefully. “He said you’re from a small town in the Southern Water Tribe. I don’t know I just… figured you were scared. Needed some friends. Raava knows I would if I were in your shoes.”  _

_ Korra felt the tears sliding down her face before she even registered she was crying. “I don’t need anyone. I am an adult and I can take care of myself.”  _

_ The hand left. “I’ve been in therapy since I was six, Korra. You can’t pull this shit with me. We all need someone. Now, tell me why we’re here.” She dared a nervous glance only to find calm, patient green eyes staring back at her. “Please.”  _

_ Taking a deep breath, Korra closed her eyes and tried to pull herself together. “I’ve been feeling homesick,” she admitted. “I wanted to come to the beach and see if it would make me feel better. But we’re here and I feel nothing so let’s go.”  _

_ “Well let’s at least go down to the shore,” Asami suggested. “I don’t know what you’re expecting to get all the way up here.”  _

_ It took a bit more coaxing, but Korra finally agreed. She let Asami lead her down close to the shore, all the way to the point that the water almost lapped at their shoes. “Well?” Asami asked, hair stirring in the salty breeze. “How does that feel?” _

_ She took a moment to really gauge her own reaction as the smell of the sea rested in her lungs and on her tongue. “It feels… warm.”  _

_ “Warm?”  _

_ “Warm.” She shook her head. “Sticky. I don’t understand how you all stand it up here.”  _

_ Asami laughed, the sound filling the empty beach around them. “Korra, you are the only person who would come down here and call it warm. It’s freezing!” She jumped slightly, as if proving her point.  _

_ “Back home, the air cuts right through you,” Korra explained. “And the stars rest above it. You can read everything in them - from the season to what harvest will be ready. But here…” She investigated the sky, eyes combing through the spottled constellations as they told their story. “This is the most I’ve seen of them since I got here. For some reason, I can’t see them within the limits of the city.” _

_ “That sounds amazing,” Asami said. “No wonder you miss it so much.” Korra couldn’t find anything to say to that as her throat tightened. She really didn’t want to cry (again) in front of Asami, no matter how cool she was turning out to be. “I know it hurts, but it’ll get easier. Trust me.”  _

Trust me.  _ Korra didn’t know why, but somehow, she did.  _

_ They only stayed for a few more minutes before deciding to go back to the car. On the way, Asami found a seashell that she proudly presented to Korra. “There! Now you can take the sea with you!” It was probably the stupidest thing anyone had ever given to her, but she stuffed it in her pocket regardless. Worse comes to worst, she could just toss it in the trash when she got home.  _

_ The drive back to her house felt much longer than it should have been. Korra wanted to make it in silence, but soon could not ignore the questions that buzzed in her head. “Why do you know so much about this stuff?” she asked.  _

_ “Like I said,” Asami repeated, “I’ve been in therapy for most of my life.”  _

_ “Yes, but  _ why _?” What about her life was  _ so  _ bad that she’d been forced into counseling at such a young age? Or did her parents do it just ‘cause? _

_ “Well, after my mom died, I was really upset.” She said it so casually that Korra reacted to it as if she’d socked her in the gut. “I didn’t speak for months. My dad was really worried and thought it would help me work through things.”  _

_ “I’m sorry,” Korra said, her voice very hoarse. “I didn’t realize… w-was she sick?” That was often how people died in the South. It was unfortunate, but expected. _

_ “No. She was killed when an intruder broke in and tried to rob our home. I was six.”  _

Oof.  _ Ow. Oh no. Oh, Spirits, she’d done it now.  _

_ “That’s awful,” Korra whispered.  _

_ “Yeah,” Asami sighed. “It was. But if there’s anything to take away from it, we all need to be careful and help each other.” She tore her gaze from the road for a split second to smile at Korra. “So, for example, when you see a person wandering alone at night in Agni Kai Triad territory, you offer your assistance.”  _

_ Korra turned away, plastering her gaze out the window to try and avoid the deep shame that washed over her.  _ Poor girl.  _ Maybe she had been wrong about Asami… maybe she didn’t have everything. After all, growing up without a mother… that was something Korra couldn’t even begin to imagine. Even now, being separated from her mother at 17, she was having trouble coping. But at six… Spirits.  _

_ “How about some music?” Asami offered. There was a click of a button and the radio turned on. “I’ve been experimenting with a small something that would allow you to play music from your phone directly on the stereo.” Korra spared a glance to see she was holding up a small cord, like a headphone jack. “Why don’t you test it out?”  _

_ She accepted the cord and plugged it into her phone. Unlocking it, she opened her music gallery, only to realize how limited her tastes really were. “Uh, I’ve been listening to Coldplay,” she said softly.  _

_ “I love them!” Asami exclaimed. “Why don’t you play one of their songs?”  _

_ “S-sure.” She pressed shuffle and it took her right to the song she’d been listening to most.  _

_ “Oh,  _ Yellow!  _ I love this song.” Asami turned the volume up before sitting back. Korra did the same, relieved not to be sitting in silence anymore. While she wasn’t necessarily comfortable playing this song with Asami in the car, she had to admit that it felt amazing to listen to on such a loud, clear speaker. The song seemed to mix perfectly with the sky outside the window. Eventually she closed her eyes and let the comfortable, floating chords relax the tension in her shoulders and relieve the aching in her heart.  _

_ That was the first night she technically ‘hung out’ with Asami alone. In the future they would laugh at how horrible Korra had been, but at the time the heiress had nothing to say but words of encouragement. No matter what lay ahead, she would always regard that as the night she and Asami became friends (despite that it was literally a mile off from their actual friendship), because that was the night she gained a deeper understanding of the girl who had stolen Mako from her. Well, no. Not stolen Mako. He’d made a choice, and Asami could never be reduced to the third point in a triangle. She was more than just Korra’s competitor, and that was what she learned that night.  _

_ At the end of the night, the seashell didn’t end up in the trash, but on Korra’s nightstand, next to a picture of her parents and Naga’s favorite toy.  _


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Asami wake up the day after their crazy night out and get to deal with the physical consequences of their actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going faster than I thought it would... but it's so much fun to write. I actually treasure the beginning of this chapter. Can't think of much to say at the moment but let me know if you like the chapter!

When morning came, it was with great confusion. 

The first thing Korra noticed was that her arm was asleep; the second that there was hair in her mouth. She brought her good arm up and swept aside her bangs, bemused when she still felt hair on her face. She blinked blearily, slowly taking in the (agonizingly) bright rays of morning light. When they finally adjusted, she realized it wasn’t her own hair. 

Asami’s head was on her chest, hair splayed  _ everywhere _ . Korra brought up her free hand to get the damn strand out of her mouth before even questioning what had happened.  _ Ugh, where’s my arm?  _ She tried pulling it and realized it was underneath Asami.  _ Ah.  _ She lifted her head, bewildered to find that the blanket had been largely stripped from her side and was piled almost entirely on the other girl.  _ No wonder my foot is cold!  _ But only one foot. The other was still under the blanket, leg trapped by an invisible force that she could only assume was Asami’s legs. 

Her head met the pillow and she closed her eyes.  _ Raava almighty… What happened last night?  _ She didn’t think she was hungover, but she was absolutely exhausted. Even if she ignored Asami draped halfway over her, all her muscles felt achy and stiff. She spared a glance at the clock, which told her it was only 7:24. No wonder… she wasn’t exactly a teen anymore. She usually didn’t try to live off of three hours of sleep. 

As she tried to slip her foot under the blanket, Asami stirred beside her. She froze, some very deep instinct shouting at her in panic, until she was sure the girl was still asleep.  _ I guess I’m just stuck like this.  _ Relaxing back into the mattress, she closed her eyes and nuzzled against the top of Asami’s head. If she was stuck there, she may as well get some more sleep. 

* * *

The second time she woke up, it was to a loud groan. 

A sudden shifting of weight left her arm free. When she glanced to see what had caused the noise, she found herself met with Asami’s exhausted gaze. “Korra?” the girl asked. Her voice was hoarse. 

“Mhm…” She stretched her arm as it fizzled in agony. “Wa’sup?” 

“I think I… might’ve overdone it.” 

“What makes you say that?” Usually she would’ve been a bit more of an asshole, but it was much too early to be sarcastic.

“My head is killing me.” Asami’s hand rested on her forehead. “We didn’t… we didn’t have plans today, right?” 

“Don’t think so.” Korra squinted, trying to remember if her parents had mentioned anything the day before. “No… Festival isn’t until tomorrow. We’re good.” 

“Good.” Asami tried to roll onto her back. “What the…” Korra yelped as she was kicked in the side. “Shit! Sorry, I… how did we even manage to do that?” 

“I don’t know,” Korra grumbled, slipping her leg free from Asami’s. “I don’t know a lot of things right now.” 

“Me neither.” There was a pause as they both stared at the ceiling. Korra was trying to process the previous night, but was coming up with a lot of questions. “What happened last night?” 

“Uh… I think you got wasted,” Korra answered, “and that I drank more than usual.” 

“Thank the Spirits we’re in Harbor City,” Asami sighed. “The press back home would’ve had a field day.” 

“It’s not like we did anything bad,” Korra defended. “I mean, besides my dancing.” Asami snorted. 

“I doubt it was that bad.” 

“Who knows.” All that was coming back to her was a beat and a slight pressure on her hips. “I’m going to go see if there’s coffee or something.” 

“I’ll join you.”

Like two spirits emerging into the daylight, the girls stumbled from their room. Korra’s parents were already well awake, Senna working on her knitting while Tonraq washed dishes in the kitchen. “Good morning!” he greeted them, voice full and hearty. From the corner of her eye, Korra saw Asami shake her head as she took a seat at the table. 

“Morning Dad.” She went straight for the coffee machine, which sat unfortunately empty. “How was Katara?” 

“Oh, as good as ever,” he assured her. “We didn’t realize that Kya and her wife were in town. We ended up visiting.”

Korra’s brow furrowed. “Her wife?”

“Remember her girlfriend?” The voice was her mom’s. 

“Yeah.” She measured out the correct amount of coffee and added an extra spoon for good measure. “It was the police lady, wasn’t it?”

“Lin Beifong,” her mom explained. “And she’s the Police Chief, Korra. In your city, for that matter!” 

“Oh, right.” She blushed, remembering her run-in with Chief Beifong a few years back. “Didn’t realize that the chief was gay.” 

“Please, Korra,” Asami sighed. “She was a single, career-driven woman for most of her life. Of  _ course  _ she’s gay.” 

“Is that what it is?” She cast a cheeky smile to Asami. “Well, no wonder about you then.” 

Asami stuck out her tongue at her. 

“You sound just like them,” Tonraq laughed. The coffee started brewing, oh so slowly. “We helped Katara make a delicious meal. You two would’ve enjoyed it! We have leftovers. Do you want some?” 

“What is it?”

Air Nomad Cuisine. Korra’s initial response was disgust - she felt like she’d had every single Air Nomad dish about a dozen times. But, as her father explained it, she started considering. 

“It’s stewed with a couple different flavors of vegetables. Then she added something Kya brought from the city - tofu. Have you kids heard of it?”

Korra had encountered it a few different times. Asami, on the other hand, nodded. “It’s popular at a lot of upscale restaurants as a meat substitute. It’s not exclusive to them, but it’s there.” 

“It’s delicious!” 

“Maybe later,” Korra told him. “Maybe just a sandwich or something? That would be nice.” 

“Coffee,” Asami requested.

“You’re getting your coffee, ‘Sami. Calm yourself.”

There wasn't any material for sandwiches, but there was sausage. By the time she’d fried it, the coffee was done. She served them at the same time, Asami’s coffee black and hers with cream. “Nice and strong,” she promised. “Exactly how you like it.” 

“Mmmm. Thanks, dear.” Korra smiled as her friend immediately dug into the coffee. 

“Save some room. The sausage is tasty!”

“It always is,” Asami agreed. “Not the sausage... I mean you always make tasty food. That came out weird.” She blushed faintly as butterflies fluttered in Korra’s stomach. She wasn’t necessarily good at taking compliments. 

“Oh, thanks. I mean, it’s nothing compared to people who can  _ actually  _ cook. But, uh, I mean…” She knew how Asami ate when she was alone.  _ Not well.  _ “Thank you.” 

Asami took a few tentative bites. She didn’t look like she was feeling well - the circles under her eyes were enough to testify that. Still, as they chatted with her parents, she smiled softly. 

“Did you girls have fun last night?” 

Korra choked on her coffee. “Yup,” she rasped, quickly going back to her meal. “Loads. Was nice to see the gang again.” 

“You kids were always up to something,” Senna laughed. “Remember when you broke your arm but didn’t want to stop skating, so you told us you were fine?” She shook her head. “And the worst part was they all played along with your idea!” 

Korra facepalmed. She had forgotten about that. She heard Asami chuckle. “They say snitches get stitches, but I think in that scenario, it was the other way around.” 

“I would prefer to say they were the ride-or-die sorts,” Korra mused. “They were the best friends a young deviant could ask for. Except for maybe you three.” She motioned to Asami, referring to her, Mako, and Bolin.

This time, Asami laughed - slightly louder (though still soft). “Yeah, we did all enable each other a bit, didn’t we?” She cast Korra a smile, eyes twinkling. “Remember that time we became teenage vigilantes for a week?”

“Do I?” she snorted. “Tenzin hasn’t let me live it down!” 

“By the sound of it, that isn’t half the stuff you kids got up to,” her father said. He tried to feign sincerity, falling short only by the gleam in his eyes. “Let’s just say that we’re lucky Korra survived this long.” 

The response to that was only half-hearted chuckles. She watched as Asami’s face fell and felt the same heaviness in her own chest.  _ Too soon, Dad.  _ Sure, the accident had been years ago, but it still felt way too recent. 

Before long, Korra was feeling much better. With her headache fading to a memory, she could feel some of the long-lost energy being restored to her stiff limbs. Asami, on the other hand, still seemed a bit worse for wear - the majority of her sausage untouched and her coffee half finished. Korra tried not to worry as she and her parents discussed their plans for the next few days.

“We’re going to try to get together with Kallik soon,” she explained. “He wants us to meet his family.”

“That sounds lovely! Tonraq, do you remember the Holiday card he sent us last year?” Senna nudged her husband. “The one with the cute little baby?” 

“Yes,” her father rumbled, beaming. “I couldn’t believe my eyes! The young ones having babies.”

“I believe it!” Senna exclaimed, eyeing Korra in a very uncomfortable manner. “After all, we could have grandchildren in our future…” 

_ Spirits.  _ A fake girlfriend was one thing… she wasn’t sure she could wrangle together a full fake family! “Ha,” she laughed, the sound quite forced. “That’s… that’s way down the… we can’t even - I -”

“One thing at a time,” Asami laughed - voice much too cheery given her apparent hangover. “We’re still quite young, after all. There’s always time to worry about that later.” 

Korra felt like her face was on fire.

“Oh, of course! I didn’t mean soon,” her mother backpedaled. “Obviously you aren’t ready for it.”

“For Spirit’s sake, you two aren’t even married yet!” her father laughed. “Us old people just get a little  _ overexcited  _ sometimes.” 

“You don’t say.” She sipped her drink, grateful for the opportunity to avert her gaze from the prying eyes of her parents.

“As much as I love Korra’s expression right now, I think I’ll excuse myself.” Asami stood slowly, grabbing her cup of coffee to take with her. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a nice, warm shower.” 

“That sounds lovely,” Korra muttered, still staring at her drink. 

“We just got a new water heater,” Senna’s voice carried across the table. “You’ll love it! It’s much better than we had when Korra was little.” 

“I can’t wait. Hey, Korra.” Korra looked up as she heard her name. Asami was beside her. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, Asami had leaned down and pressed a soft peck to her lips. It lasted only a second - not even long enough for Korra to remember why she was kissing her, or consider kissing her back - before the beautiful woman pulled back and caressed Korra’s cheek. “Let me know if you make more coffee. I could use some.” 

Like an ethereal entity, she floated towards the hall, glancing back only once to make sure Korra had heard her. “Uh, sure,” she stuttered, still caught quite off guard as a giant, dorky smile took over her face. Her memory was coming back to her in bits and pieces. As she shifted through the fragments, she could vaguely recall their conversation the night before.  _ Oh yeah… wild.  _ Of course, leave it to her half drunk self to get her into this. Not that she was complaining - oh no. There were many worse people she could kiss than  _ Asami _ …

As she slowly returned to her own head, she shifted in her seat and took a self-conscious sip of coffee. She could feel the eyes of her parents burning into her; she wasn’t normally one for PDA, especially in front of them. But when she finally gathered the courage to look up at them, they were both minding their own business - mother focused on her knitting and father leafing through the paper.  _ Maybe the freakout is all just in my head, then.  _

She tucked into her final sausage link and tried to pretend her entire world hadn’t just quaked. 

* * *

The day marched steadily onward as Korra waited patiently for her friend to finish her shower. Her mother had settled back on the couch while her father - never quite the  _ mechanical  _ type (he’d always had more luck with woodworking) - tried to fix the television. “What's wrong with it?” Korra asked as she poured herself another cup of coffee. 

“Just stopped working,” he explained as he unscrewed something. “But no worries! I’ll have it up and running in no time.” 

“We just had that huge storm. Maybe it’s the satellite dish,” Korra suggested. This had happened a lot in her apartment - Asami always seemed to know how to fix it. 

“No, no. It’s definitely this.” The screw fell to the floor and he ignored it. “I’m your father, Korra. I assure you I know what I’m doing.” 

“Maybe you should wait for Asami. She’ll know how to fix it for sure.” 

Tonraq huffed. “Korra, as great as Asami is, I doubt she knows more about this than I do.” 

Korra’s brow furrowed. “Dad. She literally owns and operates an entire technology based company. You know this, right?” 

He paused, staring at his work in silence. “I… may have forgotten that. I suppose she could help if she wants to.” 

It was another fifteen minutes before Asami returned to the living space - hair tied back and clean, comfy clothes on. When asked, Korra already knew what she was going to say.

“Of course! Let’s take a look at it.” 

She definitely seemed to be feeling better than when she’d woken up. She took a quick, unimpressed look through Tonraq’s toolbox before addressing the television. “I can work with this. Hand me the screwdriver. No - the other one.”

“This is boring,” Korra’s mother sighed. “Korra, do you want to go to the store with me? I need groceries for the next few days.” 

She cast a glance at Asami and her father setting to work - Asami’s attention immediately and fully captured by the project while her father stood to the side trying to help. “Sure,” she agreed, figuring this would turn into a frustrating scene. “Sounds fun.” 

“Wait, Korra!” Asami met her gaze. “Did you-”

“Yes,” she cut her off. “The pot is full.”

Asami beamed. “And the sausage?”

“I left yours on the table. Do you want me to put it in the fridge?” 

“Nah.” She shook her head, returning to her work. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” 

* * *

The shopping trip was…. Fun?

Oh for fucks sake. It was a shopping trip with her mom. It was nothing memorable. In fact, it was the opposite. It was mundane and boring. Sure, there was some interesting conversation. They talked about Naga and how work was in the city but… that was about it. 

The walk home was cold and miserable, albeit short. She carried four bags - only one of which bore significant weight. Much to her mercy, it was only a few minutes before the cabin was in sure sight. “Oh dear,” her mother sighed, pulling her from her frosty stupor. “It seems that your father’s on the roof again.” 

“ _ Again _ ?” she asked. “Exactly how often does this happen?” 

“Oh, you know.” 

No, she didn’t.

“Wait a second is that - oh spirits.” Even from nearly a block away, she could make out the second, smaller figure of her supposed girlfriend. “What the hell are they doing?” 

“You said the dish might be the problem,” her mother reminded her. “They must be fixing it.” 

“Yes but not like- it just snowed! Are they crazy?!” She picked up her pace, storming as fiercely as she could towards the house. “Asami!  _ Asami! _ ” 

“Korra?” The girl’s head poked up, seemingly pleased to see her. “Hey! You won’t believe what we’ve been able to finish since you’ve left!”

“Are you crazy? It’s dangerous up there!” She made it to the porch and stood, glaring up at the two. “Hurry up and get down!” At Asami’s hesitation, she continued. “That’s not a suggestion!” 

“Fine, Mom.” If Asami weren’t on the roof, Korra would have elbowed her. 

“C’mon, Korra,” her mother cooed as she caught up. “They’re just having fun!” 

“Oh yeah. Plenty of fun. Home alone. On a roof. Where they would have nobody to call for help.” Korra shook her head. “We should’ve known better than to leave them.” 

Senna laughed, much to Korra’s dismay. “You’ve grown up so much. Where’s my little rebel daughter?” She pinched Korra’s cheek. “Remember? The one who once got lost in a blizzard and came out with a polar-bear dog?” 

Korra sighed as her mother went for the door.  _ She’s right.  _ Big words coming from her. Then again, she didn’t exactly want them learning the hard way. 

* * *

“So I tweaked the picture, connected the DVD player, and fixed the satellite dish. You shouldn’t have any problems with it again!” 

“Wait, the DVD player wasn’t connected?” Korra glanced up from the bag of groceries she was unloading. “I got that for your anniversary in spring! Didn’t you like it?” 

“Yes,” her father assured her. “We just didn’t know what to do with it. So we thought we would wait for you to show us.” 

Korra groaned. And to think - her holiday gift for her parents were movies (signed by Bolin - they were fans). “You could have just told me.” 

“We didn’t want to bother you,” her mother said. “You’re always so busy.” 

She sighed. It was a cultural difference more than anything; everything in Republic City seemed busy compared to Harbor City. There was a lot more going on. 

“So it’s working now?”

“Like a gem,” Asami assured her, a delightful glimmer in her eyes. “Do you want to give this bad boy a go?”

Korra blinked, amused. Perched on Asami’s nose - as if they belonged - were her mother’s reading glasses. She must have borrowed them for her tinkering and forgotten about them. The brown beaded chain draped over her shoulders, aging her far beyond her years. “Sure,” she finally agreed, standing and stepping towards Asami. “Assuming you can see the movie, that is.” 

Asami’s brow furrowed. Before she could question her, Korra gently grasped the ends of the glasses and pulled them up and off her face. “Oh,” the girl murmured. “I forgot about those.” 

“You don’t say.” She untangled the chain from Asami’s hair. “Didn’t think to pack your reading glasses for the trip?” 

“Didn’t think I’d need them.” 

“They help you,” Korra teased, “so you can see things! Like menus, and TV parts.” She was still close to the girl - barely a space between them. 

“They’re also annoying and fragile,” Asami defended, voice soft, but eyes softer as she smiled down at Korra. “I didn’t want to have to replace them if they snapped in my suitcase.” 

“That’s… a reason.” Any trace of argument she’d had in her system when she’d returned home was gone - replaced by dazzling shades of green and purple. “Fine. I’ll let you off the hook for that one.”

“Thank you.” Asami beamed and Korra suddenly wondered if she’d been tricked into dropping her point. “So let’s stop bickering like old people and watch a movie.” Korra stuck out her tongue at her but was once again caught off guard as Asami leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on her cheek. “What are you in the mood to watch?” 

“Uh… anything…” she murmured as she watched the girl walk away. “I… I think they have the first Nuktuk movie. 

“Ooo! That’s my favorite.” Korra stumbled towards the couch, staring at the wall as Asami kept talking. “I love nothing more than making fun of Bolin as he poses shirtless on a cardboard cutout of a polar bear.” 

The family settled in for a cozy night in front of the TV - the parents enjoying themselves quietly in their respective chairs while Korra and Asami were left to the couch. This, of all things, was the closest they’d gotten to normal all week. Usually when she and Asami watched movies, they would cuddle under blankets and eat junk food. Unfortunately, there was only one blanket (a very heavy pelt - so that was a plus), but Asami didn’t seem to mind as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder. 

“Oh look! There’s Naga!” Korra exclaimed. It had been too many days since she’d seen her precious girl (she would have to text Jinora for a check in soon). 

“And Pabu,” Asami noted. “Spirits. Do you think Bolin actually has that six pack, or did they paint it on?” 

“Oh, it’s real,” Korra assured her. “The boy is  _ buff.  _ At least he was when we played in the league together.” She couldn’t say that he had remained that built into his adulthood. 

Asami’s nose scrunched. “When did you find the time to sneak peeks at shirtless Bolin?” 

“The locker room,” Korra explained. “He and Mako would also arm wrestle and have flex offs. It was really stupid.” She conveniently forgot to mention that she had taken part in these silly competitions as well (and won them, might she add).

“Spirits. I can’t believe I dated him.” She hid her face in her hands - an emotion Korra very commonly experienced when she remembered her relationship with Mako. 

“I can’t believe  _ I _ dated him. And that was  _ after  _ he lost to Bolin.”

They both giggled. 

The days seemed to pass so much faster when spent like this - warm and happy and surrounded by loved ones. Before she knew it, afternoon turned to evening, which ticked slowly into the night. She voiced this opinion out loud, only to be met with several unwelcome arguments by the assholes she chose to spend her time with. 

“I mean, you kids were asleep at least until noon,” her father pointed out cheekily. 

“And then we watched movies all afternoon,” her mother agreed. “But that’s such a sweet sentiment, dear! We love spending time with you too!” 

She shrunk into the pelt, resting her head on Asami’s shoulder. “Remind me to never say anything around them ever again. They make it weird.” 

“Will do.” Asami’s cheek rested on the top of her head. She closed her eyes, unable to recall a time when she’d felt more safe and comfortable.  _ This is what vacation is about,  _ she thought.  _ Just being cozy and relaxing. Spirits, I can’t remember the last time I actually tried to relax… maybe this was a bit overdue.  _

They shared a casual meal and, eventually, her parents retired for the night. “Don’t forget, tomorrow is the festival!” her mother reminded them. “No sleeping in! Wake up call will be bright and early, so get some sleep.” She ducked over the couch to hug the girls from behind. Korra leaned her head into the hug. 

“Thanks, Mom. Sleep well.” 

She turned off the lights as she followed her husband into the bedroom, leaving Korra and Asami alone in the faint glow of the end credits. Korra stretched subtly, not letting her arms escape the warmth of the pelt she’d cocooned herself beneath. “What do you think? Should we call it a night?” 

“Probably,” Asami sighed. “I’m not sure I’m ready to sleep.”

“We’ve been getting a lot,” Korra agreed. She tilted her head to look at Asami, soft smile tugging at her lips. “But there’s literally nothing to do here.” That was perhaps the downside - Harbor City was downright boring at this time of night. Not so much as a pizza place was left to keep them company. 

“I mean, I can come up with a few ideas.” Her eyebrows quirked suggestively and Korra nudged her gently, giggling. “What? I was talking about Pai Sho. What did  _ you  _ think I meant?” 

“Nothing,” Korra sighed, not realizing she was beaming. They obviously both remembered what had happened last night, though she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it. “Let’s just say you’ve been very…  _ convincing _ with our relationship today.” 

“Just doing my job.” Asami bit her lip - the action so subtle that Korra wasn’t entirely sure she was aware she was doing it. “After all, we wouldn’t want your lack of practice to affect our act.” 

“That’s true.” The spot where their shoulders touched almost seemed to be burning. The heat spread to her face as the next words escaped her. “H-have I been… getting better? Practice-wise, I mean. Since I was… out of it.” 

Illuminated only by the faint blue glow of the TV, Asami’s face seemed to darken. “I mean, you weren’t really bad to begin with.” She shifted slightly, her knees accidentally bumping Korra’s. “If what you’re worried about is what feels right - what feels natural - we can always, uh… work on that, too.” Her gaze left Korra's, eyes focusing on the couch beside them. 

_ What feels right.  _ It was that phrase again - the same from when they were dancing.  _ Do what feels right.  _ Because if it feels right, it’ll look right… right? It was the same exact logic that had gotten her into this and it was the same logic that was going to be her demise; because when she looked at her friend, it seemed that nothing could feel more right.

When she kissed her it was soft and sweet - agonizing as the memory of her lips came back to remind her how absolutely amazing kissing her was. She brought her hand to brush the woman’s jaw as they split for a second, only to reunite again slightly stronger.  _ Slightly.  _ She didn’t dare overdo it, after all. 

Asami’s arm wrapped around her waist, knees still overlapping (they were already quite close, let’s be real). As they moved together, she was aware of the woman’s hand on her back, not pulling but coaxing her into her embrace. She more than happily melted into the girl, kiss deepening as they both seemed to find their stride. Even as their kisses lengthened, they seemed to remain patient and careful in nature (she only noted it because it was the exact  _ opposite _ of kissing Mako). 

She couldn’t be sure of how much time passed, but they eventually broke apart when the DVD player turned off, leaving the offensive blue screen of the TV glaring in their peripherals. Asami cursed as Korra grabbed blindly for the remote. “I hate these old things. Your parents need Netflix.” 

“I gave them my password, they just don’t understand it.” She managed to find it and turn it off, leaving them in the dark. “And they kept asking me what channels Netflix has. I don’t have the time or patience to walk them through it.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Asami’s arms wrapped around her waist and Korra, unable to resist, settled back into them. She couldn’t help but giggle as the girl’s lips graced her cheek. 

“I don’t think either of us are going to feel sleepy at this rate.” It had been too long since Korra had embraced this sort of intimacy - having had just a taste, she wasn’t sure she was willing to stop. She turned her head, struggling to meet Asami’s gaze in the dark. 

“Probably not,” the girl sighed, voice much heavier than Korra had expected. “Should we get ready for bed?” 

She cupped Asami’s cheek, letting her thumb glide over the smooth skin as her thoughts raced out of control. “Yeah,” she murmured, not taking any initiative to move away. “We should.” 

Asami’s arms tightened. Korra relaxed and let herself sink into the girl, unable to help but smile as their lips met. 

Eventually they would run out of breath and end up calling it a night. That part went by in a flash that Korra didn’t comprehend. What she would comprehend was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, fingers softly grazing a spot on her cheek that was painted red from Asami’s lips. She wasn’t sure why she smiled so widely at herself, or why her reflection seemed to return the sentiment, but the fluttering in her chest suggested she may have overdone it. After a few minutes, she stumbled out of the restroom on legs made of jelly and back into the bedroom where her friend was already falling asleep.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet morning before an eventful day. What could go wrong? (Nothing.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've got a shorty but a goody. Been a bit distracted from writing lately... tryin to get back in the flow of things. Feel the feels to write the words. Anyway, here's a snippet to hold y'all over. I've got a lot of ideas for where this story can go but am having trouble really investing into it. Thank you all so much for the support! It brightens my day to know that this stupid little thing can bring joy to people :)

The Glacier Spirits Festival. Held in the week leading up to the winter solstice, the festival was created with the intention to strengthen ties with the spirits. As a child, Korra had partaken in the festivities leading up to the solstice. Today, however, was the final day of the holiday, meaning the actual Festival was going to be in full swing. 

Usually the earliest they would leave the house was noon, which would give them about five hours of daylight before nightfall would hopefully bring the spirit lights. Korra was surprised, however, when she was awoken  _ much  _ earlier than noon to her parents boundless cheer. 

“We didn’t mean to intrude,” her mother apologized, shooing her father out of the room. “Just meet us out in the living room when you’re ready. We got presents!” 

Somewhere in her half-conscious brain, Korra realized what her mother had said. “Intrude?” she murmured, rubbing her sleepy eyes. “On what?” 

Asami hummed an ‘I don’t know’ as her arms tightened around Korra.  _ Wait, what?  _ The girl’s breaths were soft on her neck, the scent of her shampoo surrounding Korra. Somehow, against all odds, it seemed that Korra was being spooned.  _ I guess that would do it.  _

She let herself enjoy a few more minutes in bed with Asami. Despite her constant complaints about being cold, Asami was quite warm against her. It took quite a bit of motivation to convince herself that they needed to get up, lest they fall back asleep like this. “We gotta go, ‘Sami,” she said, voice more of a rasp. “They wanna do the presents thing.” 

“Hmmmm.” Asami’s nose nuzzled into the back of Korra’s neck. “I thought the Water Tribe didn’t do presents.” 

“They usually don’t.” She rested her hand over one of Asami’s. “They wanted to do it cause I brought home a ‘city girl’. Since they think it’s a city thing.” 

“That’s… only partially accurate.” Asami finally released her, flipping over to lay on her back. Her absence left her back exposed and the cold air crept down her spine. She stifled a curse, forcing herself to sit up and take it all at once.  _ Why is it always so damn cold down here?  _

“I think the city’s softened me up. Cold never used to get me like this.” She flipped her legs over the side of the bed, shivering slightly. 

“I swear, Korra. The way you talk about the city...” She turned around to see Asami smiling sleepily at her. “Maybe I’m just lucky you don’t call me a city-slicker.” 

“Give it another day.” She stood and went over to her suitcase, digging a bit to find her clean clothes. “Come on. They’re gonna get impatient soon.” 

* * *

Presents were going better than Korra had expected. Her parents were happy with the new Nuktuk movie (and a little too excited that it was signed). They gave her a hand-knit polar-bear dog plushie (adorable) and Asami a blue scarf (also knit). “Now you’re  _ really  _ Water Tribe,” her father chuckled. Korra did her best to hide her blush. 

She’d gotten Asami a real present, but it wasn’t supposed to arrive in the city for another week. For the time being, she gave her a box of hot chocolate. “It’s not much,” she apologized, “but there’s also going to be a lot of stuff at the festival tonight. So, uh…” she spared a cheeky wink. 

“Finally, a real sugar daddy,” Asami sighed. “I’ve been waiting forever. As you know, money is a real issue for me.” She blinked innocently. Korra stuck out her tongue at her. 

“So that just leaves one more gift for Korra,” her mother figured. “Asami hasn’t given you anything yet.” 

“Oh, no, Mom.” She shook her head. “She flew us down here.”  _ And is pretending to be my girlfriend….  _ “She’s done  _ more  _ than enough.” 

“Well shoot,” Asami groaned. “Does that mean I’ll have to return this?” From somewhere out of Korra’s vision, she pulled out a small trinket with an obnoxiously large bow on top. “Oh wait, I can’t return it. I guess you’ll just have to keep it.” 

“Asami,” she warned, “seriously. You’ve done more than enough.” She eyed it suspiciously, unsure of what to expect. 

“Oh relax, Korra. It cost me absolutely nothing. I actually made it well before you invited me on this trip.” Her eyes were soft and pleading - a terrible mixture that Korra knew - in her gut - she couldn’t resist. “Please? I spent a lot of time on it.” 

_ And I got her hot chocolate?!  _ She caved, taking the present with a little more excitement than she was proud to admit. As she held it, she realized it was a large, metal seashell on a chain. It resembled a pocket watch more than a necklace (much to her relief, as that might have given her parents the wrong idea). When she opened it, however, a melody began to play. 

Inside were three tiny figures. They marched in a circle like horses on a carousel, small gears whirring just out of earshot. As she squinted, she realized they were dogs, modeled after Naga, chasing one another. “Asami,” she whispered, struggling to maintain her composure as her eyes began tearing up. “This… this is beautiful. When did you… how did-” 

She cut off when Asami’s hand rested on her knee. “Even I need to take breaks. I wanted to try my hand at something a bit different than normal.” She shrugged, as if it were  _ no big deal.  _ “I spent a lot of time on the dogs. They were absolutely horrible. But I’m pretty proud of the music mechanism!” 

“You should be. This is just brilliant. Thank you.” She squeezed Asami’s hand, unsure how else to emphasize her gratitude. “Spirits, Asami. Is that how you messed up your eyes? Staring at those damn little pieces?” She giggled a bit, trying to push past her emotional response. 

“Oh no, they were already screwed. But I did have to pull out my magnifying glasses.” 

For her parents, Asami had somehow managed to procure a tablet. “Made with you in mind,” she specifically noted. Korra had mentioned once that her parents were not particularly tech savvy. “This has several features that will allow you to video chat with Korra at the push of a button. That way you don’t have to rely on sketchy reception or texts anymore. And I’ve already put all of Korra’s information in there, so it should be good to go.” 

_ Fucking hell.  _ This woman was impossible. 

* * *

They spent the remainder of the morning showing her parents how to use the tablet (the SatoPad - it was a prototype, technically speaking). Korra stowed her music box very carefully in her suitcase before anything had the chance to try and hurt it. Once the gift-giving cheer settled, they all began preparing for their afternoon outside. Korra and her parents put on their normal gear and helped Asami. They ended up finding an old, fuzzy fleece hoodie of Korra’s from her teen years that was too tight on the shoulders for her anymore. “You can keep it,” Korra said, zipping the front up for her. “Sorry it smells like the closet. And it’s blue. Not your normal style.” 

Asami giggled. “Uh, made with love?” Korra couldn’t help but roll her eyes lightheartedly. 

They decked her in her new scarf and the warmest accessories they could find. “Do you think she’ll be warm enough?” Senna fretted, circling Asami anxiously. “What if her fingers freeze?” 

“She’s an adult, Mom. I think she’ll let us know if she starts getting frostbite.” She took one of Asami’s gloved hands, holding it tight as if to make her point. “Are you good with that, Asami?” 

Asami nodded stiffly from beneath several layers. 

With that, they took off for their day at the festival. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family is off to the Spirit Festival! With fried food, carnival games, and concerts abound... will our two lovers make it to the end of the day without embarrassing themselves??? Only time will tell!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen guys. Listen. I'm very gay. 
> 
> Anyway. Interesting times here... I've been alone in quarantine for a week and have managed to do absolutely zero writing. However, Swede is about ready to come and kick my ass, so I've decided to man up and do a bit of work! After all, who doesn't want some gay gals being pals? 
> 
> I'm spending most of my time cleaning, playing video games, and overall trying to enjoy the one and only time I will ever have two weeks off work. However, these are serious times... remember to self-isolate, social distance, and WASH YOUR HANDS! And, if you're digging more sweet, sweet Korrasami, both Swede and I have MANY other works! Her stuff is much longer, but mine is an abundance of sappy one-shots and a few soulmate aus (please don't remind me of Paralyzed). 
> 
> Please stay safe out there and do your best to enjoy your time. I don't know about you, but nobody needs to tell me twice to stay home and avoid human contact ;) Let me know how your quarantines are going!

The enticing scent of fried food filled the air as the family entered the festival. As usual, the entirety of Harbor City (and some mild holiday traffic) were there, making it seem much more crowded than most of them were used to. Korra cast a spare glance to Asami, wondering if all the commotion made her feel at home. 

The first few stands definitely seemed to be food. This, of course, spoke to Korra on a very primal level. She nudged Asami, pointing out a few different concessions. “What do you think?” she asked. “Do you want something?” 

The girl hummed. “Is it too early for a warm drink?” Her eyes glimmered as she met Korra’s, almost pleading. “I think that would be nice.” 

As if she could say no to that face. “It’s never too early. The booth behind us usually has my favorite coffee, so it’ll probably make you gag.” She nudged Asami as the girl laughed. 

“You’re as thick-headed as ever, Korra.” Asami beamed down at her, sending Korra’s heart pounding. “Let’s get some damn coffee. We might need it if we’re going to survive the day.” 

Korra paid for the drinks, opting for the large sizes since she had the extra money. The cups steamed as the vendor handed them over and Korra almost drooled in anticipation. “Thank you!” she called as they hurried back towards her parents at another booth. “I don’t know why I thought they would wait for us…” 

They caught up just in time to watch her dad purchase an artic hen on a stick. “You girls hungry?” he asked, eyes glowing as he took his snack. “We’re buying if you want anything.” 

They both politely declined. From experience, Korra knew to take her proper time enjoying her coffee. “Maybe later. I’m more excited to see the games!”

“And art concessions,” Asami added. “I read that the local art that is sold at this festival is absolutely  _ spectacular. _ ” Korra gave her a blank stare. “What? I’m just saying, there’s not a whole lot of authentic water tribe culture in Republic City. I’m very excited to be able to take part in this tradition with your family.” Her free arm hooked around Korra’s, tugging at her softly. 

“For being at a festival, you’re talking a lot of nerd stuff,” Korra teased sheepishly, trying to push down a few stray butterflies as they fluttered in her stomach. She pulled her arm free and took Asami’s hand. “But yeah. Uh, we’ll also look at the art stuff.” 

In fact, the very next station was just that. “Ice sculptures,” Asami mused. She seemed impressed as she admired the finer details of one particular tiger-seal. “Amazing. It’s a shame that this is literally the worst thing I could try to take home.” 

“I’ll say. You keep your bedroom at like a million degrees. This thing would be a puddle!” 

Asami rolled her eyes. “I was actually talking about the plane, but I guess you have a point.” 

They continued browsing. Much to her amusement (and mild annoyance), her parents were pointing out every single item to Asami and explaining what it was.  _ At least Asami seems to be enjoying it.  _ Indeed, the girl was engaging in meaningful conversation about each piece she was presented with. Korra took a long sip of her drink. 

As Tonraq and Senna got caught up at a stuffed animal stand, the girls found themselves at a jewelry concession. “Metalworking!” Asami exclaimed. “Nice!” She pulled Korra right up to inspect the pieces. “These are beautiful.”

There were three different selections - rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Each category had a couple dozen options to choose from, all unique in character. Korra’s attention wandered to the rings, many of which were adorned with small, blue gems (very water tribe) and different engravings of waves. None of those really spoke to her, though the few other colors of stones seemed nice. There were a couple of purple, one red, and another two black. She was sure the different colors and styles were supposed to mean something, but she didn’t have the time to inspect them further when she felt Asami tugging on her arm. 

“Korra, look at these.” 

The necklaces had caught Asami’s eyes - and for good reason. Compared to the simple rings, the designs of the necklaces were delicate and intricate. A few select items had metal chains, but most of them were held together with blue ribbons. The metals on the front differed and each design seemed independent from the others. A sign on the front of the display advertised the business and offered customizable orders. 

“Oh yeah, this place is nice,” Korra noted. “Ikiaq’s cousin inherited it from their grandmother. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and made with lots of love and attention. They usually work with orders, but they also have a lot of fun with this stuff.” 

“This is awesome.” She heard Asami sigh as she inspected one of the necklaces. “Sometimes I wish running Future Industries was this easy. It feels like all I do these days is hammer on business deals. I wish I could make things like this.” 

While no business is easy to run, Korra understood what she meant. Future Industries was a mammoth of a company - not her own, small shop. “It’s fun to admire,” Korra added unhelpfully. “Maybe we should move on-”

“There you girls are!” She was cut off as, much to her dismay, her parents caught up. “What are you looking at?”

“These beautiful necklaces.” Korra physically cringed as Asami said it. “Korra was telling me about them. They’re just absolutely stunning, don’t you think?” 

“Oh yes,” her mother agreed, eyes a tad too wide. “They sure are.” 

Her father chuckled, patting Korra on the back. “Look at our little girl. All grown up and looking at betrothal necklaces. Never thought I’d see the day.” 

“Ha, very funny, Dad.” She shook her head, watching as Asami’s brows furrowed in confusion. “We were just admiring the handiwork. Right, Asami?” The girl’s eyes widened as she put the pieces together. She nudged her discreetly in the side. “Right?” 

“Uh, yes. The handiwork.” Asami’s face flushed red. “I was just contemplating the tools that they might have used for these. You see, in my garage, I like to keep a wide variety of-”

That went on for a while. Asami was not one that was easily flustered and, with a life-saving charisma check, managed to derail the entire discussion with mechanical jargon. She and Tonraq managed to keep the conversation going, much to Korra’s amazement, though it eventually died off as one particular game caught the girl’s eye. 

“Hey, Asami, do you want to do the high striker?”

“The… the what?” 

“The strong man game!” She pointed. It was one of her favorite festival games from her childhood - she would spend way too much time (and money) trying to hit hard enough to strike the bell. “It’s been years since I tried it. Do you think I could win?” 

“Hmmmmm.” Korra gasped, betrayed. “I’m just kidding, Kor,” Asami laughed, putting a hand over Korra’s bicep. “I’m  _ positive. _ ”  _ Oof.  _ As they drew closer to the attraction, she squinted. “You know, I’ve been to a festival with one of these before. I’m glad this one just has numbers. The last one had phrases for each level and most of them were very sexist.” 

Korra cringed. “Yeah… the Northern tribe was like that for a while too, but we’ve been pretty good down here about gender equality. I mean hell, our entire tribe was brought back from the brink of extinction by one woman.” Needless to say, Katara was something of a local legend. 

They bought two tickets - one for each of them. She’d considered going in for more, but this was the sort of thing that, if she weren’t careful, would lead to a very unstable spiral. “Ladies first,” she offered to Asami, cheeky smile plastered on her face. “After all, I wouldn’t want to set the stakes too high.” Asami smirked, striking a hint of fear into Korra’s stomach. 

“Actually, I always like to have a goal in mind.” She grazed the collar of Korra’s coat with the tips of her fingers. “So why don’t you set an example?” 

“I guess I could, if you’re really that nervous.” 

Asami’s brow cocked. “So confident. How about we do this thing for real? Set some stakes?”

Korra gulped. “L-Like what?” 

Asami slipped her other arm over Korra’s shoulder, bringing them closer together. “If you win, I’ll kiss you.” Her eyes twinkled. “But if I win, you’ll have to kiss me.” 

She opened her mouth to tell Asami that those were basically the same thing. “Deal.”  _ Wait, what? _ She blinked, unsure what had come over her. 

“Excellent.” Asami kissed her cheek. Just like that she released Korra and disappeared behind her. “Good luck.” 

_ Wait! …. What?  _

She stumbled forward on shaky knees, where the overly enthusiastic attendant armed her with a hammer. “Give it your best swing! Hit the bell and win a prize!” She stared up at the bell, which suddenly seemed much higher.  _ Focus, Korra. She was just trying to get in your head.  _ She tightened her grip on the handle, holding it firm.  _ You’ve done this a million times! Just focus. _

She raised the hammer over her head and charged forward, bringing it down with all her might. The familiar ding of metal hitting metal rang out but, much to her dissatisfaction, she didn’t hear the bell. “Oh! So close!” She met the gaze of the attendant. “That was a strong hit, Ma’am! Just over the 9! If you give it another go, I’m sure you would get it!” 

“Probably,” Asami’s voice said, directly behind her, “but that wasn’t the deal, was it?” She whipped around to look at the girl, heart pounding as she noticed the mischievous smile stretching across her face. “May I?” She grasped the hammer in Korra’s hands. 

“O-of course,” Korra murmured, still a bit stunned.  _ The one time I needed to get a 10! Maybe the Spirits have it out for me?  _ She released the tool and let Asami take it. “So you just have to beat a 9. No big deal. Just don’t flub it.” Her trash talk was very much lacking. 

“Oh, I won’t.” Asami turned and took her aim. Before Korra could think to try and distract her (or something else vaguely cheaty) she had already lunged forward and brought the hammer down.  _ She would make a very good Thor.  _ The metal shot upward and the bell rang out, clear as day. 

“That’s a winner!” The man looked ecstatic. “Approach the booth to claim your prize!” 

Asami followed his instruction, hair flowing majestically on the breeze as she cast a glance at Korra. She winked and waved for her to follow.  _ Fucking hell.  _ A few years ago, Korra might’ve been a sore loser. For some reason, she couldn’t find it in her to be upset about this. In fact, she realized she was smiling.  _ Wow.  _ With minimal hesitation, she jogged over to join Asami at the booth. 

The girl ended up choosing a small, stuffed sky bison. “Isn’t he cute?” She presented it to Korra, who nodded vigorously. 

“They also have big ones, if you want.” 

Asami shook her head as she placed the prize in her purse. “No - we have to carry this around for the rest of the day, remember?” She had a point. “Anyway, I won.” Her eyes glowed as she spoke. “I believe we had a deal?” 

Korra took one of Asami’s hands, leading her away from the booth. “It’s been a whole two seconds,” she teased, eyes flicking to the girl’s lips. She turned to face her, taking her other hand and pulling her close. “Talk about impatience.” 

Asami paused, cheeks pink. “I just… know what a sore loser you can be. I don’t want you thinking you can get away with it.” She smiled, batting her eyelashes.  _ Spirits.  _ Even when she was obnoxious, the woman was breathtaking. Korra felt the now-familiar flutter in her stomach as her brain struggled to process what Asami had said. Whatever it was had been a jab, and Korra wasn’t in the mood to take one. Without worrying about it any longer, she leaned forward to kiss the intolerable girl and her stupid, gorgeous face. 

Despite the build-up Asami fell back, as if she hadn’t been expecting Korra to kiss her so suddenly. Her grip on Korra’s hands tightened as she caught her balance and their mouths smacked against each other, hard enough that Korra could feel the collision in her teeth. She felt Asami’s composure break against her lips. She pulled away to find Asami giggling, then full out laughing when she saw the look on Korra’s face. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I just - I just almost fell over!” Korra couldn’t help but smile, giddiness forming deep in her lungs as Asami’s contagious giggle fit took over. “You shocked me!” 

“ _ How? _ ” Korra snorted. “You literally had the most warning!” 

“I don’t know!” She wrapped her arms around Korra and hid her face in the crook of her neck. “I just… I don’t know what happened.” 

Korra was trying so hard not to laugh that her ribs were starting to ache. She hugged her, still not entirely sure what was going on but finding the absurdity absolutely hilarious. “Maybe this is why we’re single,” she whispered, only loud enough for Asami to hear. 

Unfortunately, the hilarious comment only made them both laugh harder. 

After several painstaking minutes, Korra finally managed to calm herself from the fit. She wiped a stray tear from her eyes. “My stomach hurts,” she sighed. “Why… what even…”

“I don’t know,” Asami murmured. She had her hand on her forehead and was leaning against the side of a booth. “I think I almost peed.” 

“Gross,” Korra sniggered. Asami laughed, shaking her head. 

“Stop,” she begged. “Please, stop. We need - we need to get it together. Need to find your parents.” 

“Oh, shit, yeah.” She’d forgotten. They’d abandoned them for the strongman game. “Fuck. Yeah, let’s find them. I’m getting hungry. We should get some food.”

“That sounds good.” Asami took her hand and rested some of her weight against Korra’s side. “Let’s go do that. Before we do something else stupid.”

* * *

By the time they found her parents and got some food, one of the main events of the festival was starting. A large crowd was forming around a makeshift stage where a band was setting up. There was a spot near the edge of the mass that they decided to stand. It wasn’t very close to the stage, but Korra wasn’t particularly worried about that. In fact, as she squinted, she was sure she recognized the figures preparing their set. 

“Hey Asami, is that the band we saw at the bar?”

Asami followed her gaze and squinted even harder (the question had mostly been rhetorical, but it was too late to admit that). “I think so!” She turned to Tonraq and Senna. “These guys are awesome! We’re in for a treat.” 

_ That’s for sure.  _ Korra took a bite of her fried meat. “I wonder what other songs they’ve got.” For some reason, all she remembered from that night was Coldplay. 

“Me too.” Asami cast her a smile. 

The conversation died as the music started. Korra wasn’t too invested at this point. She finished her food and, before she quite knew what was happening, her father was handing her a plastic cup. “It’s your favorite,” he said with a wink. She was immediately sure that it wasn’t and that he had no idea what he was talking about. 

“What’s this?” she asked Asami loudly, voice barely audible.

Asami took a sip - something Korra easily could have done herself. Her face scrunched. “Beer,” she answered. Ah. So it was nobody’s favorite. 

She tried it, quickly understanding Asami’s reaction. “Cheap beer,” she corrected. Asami laughed. Despite the lackluster taste, it fit the scene well. She took another sip and bobbed her head to the beat of the music. “Fits the vibe,” she yelled to Asami, who didn’t seem to agree. 

“You can have mine.” She handed Korra her cup. “I’m going to go get something more my style. Do you want anything while I’m up?” 

She considered the offer for a moment. “Surprise me,” she decided. She was going to need some sort of motivation to finish the beer. Asami kissed her cheek as she left, leaving Korra feeling nice and warm.  _ I want to kiss her again.  _ The thought was out of place, but not out of line. She watched the woman walk away, hair billowing gently in the breeze, and couldn’t help but imagine it entwined in her fingers; gently tucking it out of the way as she kissed her - or even set around Asami’s sleeping form like a dark, tangled halo. When she realized her thoughts had been completely sidetracked by her friend’s hair, she turned back to the band and took a long, unfulfilling gulp of the beer. 

_ If I didn’t know any better… _

She wasn’t sure how long Asami was gone, but her return was a welcome relief. “They’re trying to dance,” Korra said, motioning to her parents as they awkwardly jived with the crowd. She frowned. This festival was slowly morphing into a horror show. 

Asami’s brows furrowed, the gears churning in her brilliant head. “How about we tell them we’re going for a walk?” she suggested. “Get some metaphorical fresh air.” 

Korra nodded. “Great idea.” She set the drinks down with her father’s. “Hey, Dad!  DAD!!” With all the air in her lungs and a lot of frantic waving, she got his attention. “We’re going for a walk!” 

He gave her a thumbs up which was all she needed. “Pretend you don’t know them,” she hissed to Asami as she pulled her away. The only response she got was stifled laughter, which apparently was enough to fill her with warmth. “What did you get?” she asked as they roamed out of sight, straddling the edge of the concert crowd. 

Asami looked down, having seemingly forgotten the cups she was holding. “Oh!” She handed one to Korra. “The most expensive wine I could find. So… cheap wine.” 

Korra snickered. “And here I thought we were too old for the concert scene.” She held out her cup and Asami toasted. 

“Age has never stopped me before.” Asami took a swig of the wine. “Oof. That’s… about what I expected.”

Korra tried hers. “That’s pretty good.” At Asami’s astonished look, she continued, “We aren’t famous for our wine down here.” 

“Oh, right. You all prefer the brews that will end with your stomach pumped.” She tried to elbow her but Asami leapt out of the way. “C’mon, Kor! Is that all you’ve got?” She stuck her tongue out at her, though Korra barely noticed as she found herself lost in the woman’s smile. 

_ Spirits…  _

* * *

A few songs passed. The crowd was bigger than Korra had first estimated. They ended up stopping to sit on a few conveniently placed boulders at the far edge of the show. “I don’t know about this,” Asami grumbled, shifting uncomfortably. “My ass is  _ freezing. _ ”

Biting back a few sarcastic comments, Korra shifted closer to her. “Here.” She wrapped her arm around Asami’s waist. “It’ll be warmer if we sit close together.” 

Asami scooted closer and angled her body in towards Korra. She rested her head on Korra’s shoulder. “That’s much better,” she agreed. “You’re like a heating pad.” 

The spots where Asami pressed against her were much warmer, though whether it was body heat or sheer anxiety, Korra couldn’t tell.  _ Why am I anxious?  _ Perhaps it was a bit loud for her liking - concerts weren’t really her scene anymore - but she wasn’t quite sure that was it. She brushed her nerves under the carpet and tried to enjoy the music, which was still rockin in the background.

“Korra?” Asami’s voice barely broke through her thoughts. 

“Hm?” She turned her head just far enough to see her friend. 

“I asked if you are enjoying yourself, but you seem a bit preoccupied.” Asami wore just a hint of a smile. 

“Sorry, just lost in thought, I guess.” She shifted in her seat, knees bumping into Asami’s. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” 

She blinked, mind suddenly blank. What had she been thinking about? “Uh… you,” she decided, offering her friend a cheeky smile. Her composure broke as she felt Asami laugh. 

“Lines like that are why you’re single.” 

“Then what’s your excuse?” Korra teased. 

Asami paused, lips pursed as she considered the question. “I’m too career driven,” she decided, sighing dramatically. “No man can handle my work ethic. And all the women are already married to other women.”

Korra snorted. “I’m afraid I can’t relate. Not to brag but - uh - I’m going home with a rather _ stunning _ woman tonight.” Asami giggled, beaming back up at her. 

“I don’t know, you’re pretty  _ stunning _ yourself. Anyone would be lucky to go home with you.” 

Applause broke out as the band finished a song. There was barely a gap as a few soft chords rang out, pulling them right into the next. The girls remained gazing at each other despite the commotion. Korra couldn’t have been bothered to turn away if the world itself was ending; the glow of Asami’s smile was enough to fill her with that warmth that she could barely recognize. Even though she couldn’t quite name it, she had a feeling Asami felt it too (she was nearly sure, if only by a twinkle in the woman’s eyes). 

The melody came together and time blended. In the end she wasn’t sure who kissed who, but she and Asami were kissing. She drew her leg up onto the boulder so she could properly face the girl, gloved hand cupping her cheek. Her lips had been cold initially but quickly warmed under Korra’s touch. Despite the number of times she had now kissed Asami, this one seemed to start much more cautiously than the others. The sentiment didn’t seem to last as the kiss deepened and Korra felt herself being pulled further and further into it. The faintest hint of alcohol lingered on the girl’s painted lips - Korra couldn’t help but wonder what they would taste like without it.  _ Why does this always happen when we are drinking?  _ In the back of her head, she would imagine it had something to do with lowered inhibitions and less consequences, but that answer was much too technical. Instead of lingering on it, she kissed the girl deeper, trying not to lose herself in the feeling. 

When Korra ran out of breath they broke apart, clouds billowing around them as they panted. Asami had a hand splayed on her chest (collarbone), over Korra’s heart. She wondered if the girl could feel it pounding beneath her palm and tried to soften her breathing. However, as her eyes flicked over Asami’s delicate features, she found the task nearly impossible. Her lips were parted as she breathed, brows furrowed curiously above hooded eyes. When she met her gaze her beautiful, green gem eyes felt a touch darker than Korra was used to. She gulped, not quite sure what to interpret from that. Asami seemed to sense her confusion. “What’s wrong?” she murmured. 

Korra shook her head. “N-nothing,” she promised. “I was just thinking about you.”  _ Fucking hell. Why did I say that?  _

It worked, apparently, as Asami pulled her back into a warm, encompassing embrace. She felt the girl’s tongue graze her bottom lip and opened her mouth. Asami’s free arm wrapped around Korra’s waist and brought her closer - so close that she could feel the warmth from her body pressing against her. She briefly considered pushing her back and finding some proper leverage but vaguely remembered that they were still in a very public place.  _ Dammit.  _ Even more of a shame as she felt Asami’s tongue in her mouth and, quite suddenly, couldn’t have cared less about where they were. She tried to push the girl back but was stopped by the hand on her chest. Much to her dismay Asami pulled away, but only enough so she could whisper, “Concert.” 

“I don’t care,” Korra answered, kissing her again. Asami giggled and, not wanting to completely lose contact, she settled to press soft pecks to her cheek. “Nobody is paying attention,” she whined, though she knew Asami had won this argument. 

“Your parents,” Asami reminded her.

“Ah, fuck.” Korra definitely didn’t want them catching her. With a final, soft kiss, she pulled back to rest her forehead against Asami’s. When she blinked open her eyes, she found Asami’s staring back at her, glittering as brightly as ever in the fading daylight. They flicked down and the girl chuckled. 

“You have lipstick on you.”

She bit her lip, holding back a variety of sarcastic comments. “Uh, does it at least look good?”

Asami hummed. “I think so.” A finger grazed her bottom lip and it was all she could do to not lean further into the touch. “But it is definitely suspicious.”

“Ugh.” She finally broke away from the girl, straightening her back and wiping her mouth on her gloves. She cast a glance back to Asami. 

“I can’t stand that pout of yours,” the girl teased, nudging her shoulder. She cast a glance at the concert still taking place around them. “Maybe we should go? Find somewhere less… public?” 

Korra nodded, nervous smile spreading across her face. “That sounds good.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting a little too friendly at the Spirit Festival, Korra is beginning to question her 'heterosexuality'. Just a little bit... she has more important things to think about. Like the gorgeous woman in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is wrapping up Day 11 of quarantine for me. I went for a drive. The air was so fresh... my car so familiar... I felt a spark of joy inside of me that I didn't know had been snuffed out. Now, as I sit still surrounded by seven cats, I have begun to wonder how it feels to be around people. I remember fondly my friends... how I could spend time with them. Laugh with them. Hug them. My dearest friends who usually don't smell like nasty litter boxes... maybe one day I will hug a person again. Until then, I resort (again) to fiction. 
> 
> There was very good response to the gay things last chapter. I just wrapped up writing Chapter 14 and am happy to say that the next few chapters are unbearably gay. I have fallen back into my favorite trope of writing the grossest, most teeth-rotting fluff imaginable and wondering what it feels like to be loved so purely. 
> 
> Please, enjoy this in the spirit of quarantine. Go for a drive, but don't go outside. I know we all want to, but like. If we don't, it'll be over quicker. My neighbors keep having people over and I am enraged. They are the reason the deaths are skyrocketing in my state (in my unprofessional opinion.) Also feel free to chat or something idk I'm bored. Stay safe guys.

Korra sighed.

_ So much for privacy. _

She felt like a teen again - following her parents as they lead her through the festival - despite it being the last thing she wanted to be doing. 

But she wasn’t a teen. Far from it! She was a full-fledged adult who never got to see her parents, except for this one holiday. And she loved seeing them! She was having a great time. Except…

_ I want to kiss that stupid, smug look off her face.  _

Asami was paying attention as Tonraq was speaking, brows furrowed in concentration. The charade was foolproof, save for her occasional glances back to Korra, where her smile would widen and her eyes would soften.  _ Spirits.  _ What she would give to be anywhere without her parents right now. 

Of course, that would mean they didn’t have to pull off this whole scam. So they could just act like normal… except Korra didn’t want whatever that meant. She wanted to kiss Asami, and hold her, and not have to worry about anyone being there to interrupt them. 

_ What does that mean? _

The question rang in her ears again. Alright, maybe she wasn’t straight… in which case this was definitely an eye opening experience. But that didn’t mean she had feelings for Asami. She just wanted to see her smile, and kiss her, and help her achieve all her goals. That wasn’t what it had felt like when she’d had a crush on Mako. 

Her worries were pushed from her head when Asami realized she was staring at her. “Right, Korra?” She took her hand as she spoke and squeezed it gently. The smile she gave her was to die for - and Korra was pretty sure she would. 

“Yes.” 

On the outskirts of the festival leading back to town, people had begun taking seats on the snowy hills. “Now we just wait for the sun to set,” her mother explained, pointing to where it was already sneaking below the horizon. “And hopefully the spirits will grace us with their presence!” 

“I’ve only seen it in pictures,” Asami told Korra through a hushed murmur. “Do you think we’ll see it?” 

Korra, who had surveyed these skies for nearly two decades, nodded. “The conditions look good,” she assured her. “I’d say it's the best chance we’ll get.” 

The four of them sat on an empty drift and waited. “I wish I had a warm drink,” Asami murmured, prompting Korra to put an arm around her. “It’s getting a bit chilly.” 

“Yeah. It’s a shame we already finished that wine, too.” At least it had left her feeling warm on the inside. 

“We still have that beer!” her father offered from a little ways behind them. Korra scrunched her nose. 

“Thanks, Dad, but I think we’re good.” 

“Suit yourself.” She glanced back to see him inhaling the drink.  _ Ugh.  _

They chatted as they waited for the sun to go down. As dark was approaching, Asami had gone on a tangent about her favorite book series, and was explaining to Tonraq why he should read them. “Plus, they took way too many liberties with the movies. I mean, did you see that scene at the end where the main character escaped the beast unscathed! That was so unrealistic! In the books, he got beat up so bad that he was in the hospital for a month.” Her eyes fell on Korra. “Between us, this is why I have qualms with Varrick in the filmmaking industry. He cuts too many edges and his movies are ridiculously unlifelike.” 

“I agree.” She’d heard this argument many times before and knew better than to disagree. “But doesn’t he have another movie coming up?”

Asami rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me,” she sighed. 

“What?” 

She blinked, taken aback. “Don’t you remember? He asked me to play a character in it. Because of my ‘stunning good looks’ and ‘irreplaceable appeal’. But I told him no, since he just wants a replacement for Ginger. And I am  _ not  _ kissing Bolin.” 

Korra chuckled, the conversation coming back to her from nearly a month ago. “It’s not the worst idea,” she tried to defend. “Besides, Bolin wouldn’t be the worst person to kiss in our friend group.” She earned herself a smack on the leg. “Ow! Fine. Besides, it’s not like you can just put your work at Future Industries on hold.” 

“Exactly!” Asami sighed. “I’m trying to run a business over here.”

She nodded, raking her head for a witty comeback. “If he thinks only beautiful, famous people can kiss Bolin on camera, then he should put on his big-boy snow gear and do it himself.”

Asami snorted in laughter and leaned on Korra’s shoulder. Korra felt herself glowing a bit - that was a good one; mostly because she was imagining the look on Bolin’s face if Varrick were to try to kiss him. “I - I hate that,” Asami gasped. “That’s awful.”

“Hey, I would buy it.” 

Their snickering was cut short as Korra’s mom got their attention. “Kids! It’s starting!” She pointed up at the sky, where a faint glow was starting to emanate from the horizon. Asami sat up, hand resting on Korra’s knee, and watched. 

Korra had seen this many times growing up. Green rays of light began rising into the sky, their movements reminiscent of an animal traversing the tundra. As they climbed, a few joyous shouts sounded around them. In the distance the band rocked on, the crowd cheering along as if to welcome the spirits to their realm. It was one of those moments that sent a chill down Korra’s spine - her people brought together in peace and unity. These days, everything seemed so divided…

Once the initial shock ran its course, Korra turned back to address Asami. “What do you think?” 

Her question fell on deaf ears. Asami was beaming up at the sky, wide eyes trying to drink it all in. Korra put her hand over Asami’s, grabbing her attention. “Does this happen every year?” she asked. 

“Kinda, yeah,” Korra chuckled. “It happens more in winter and sometimes during the festival. We’re lucky they came early this year.” 

“It’s beautiful.” 

The girl’s green eyes matched and reflected the color of the lights. Her hand softly rubbed Korra’s knee in a soft spoken, intimate gesture. It felt like bubbles were being blown in Korra’s chest - soft and floaty - bursting on the breeze.

“It is.” 

Asami glanced back to her, a soft blush spreading on her cheeks. “Uh, thanks for inviting me on this trip.” She glanced down. “I know it may not have been what you were expecting, but I’m really enjoying it.” 

With as warm and fuzzy as those words made her feel, Korra was sure she could have melted the entire city. “It’s been awesome spending time with you,” she admitted, not quite sure if that could be considered oversharing. “Plus you really needed the vacation.” Asami giggled and it was Korra’s turn to blush. 

“That’s for sure.” Asami leaned into Korra, eyes lidded in that way that made Korra’s stomach turn to jelly. “I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but if I were your girlfriend, I would want you to kiss me now.” 

Korra’s breathing stilted. She was suddenly very aware of her parents only a few paces behind them - neither of which would have an issue with making loud, gaudy remarks about PDA. On the other hand, Asami’s lips were directly in front of her - soft and currently unkissed.  _ I simply cannot stand for this.  _

After a moment of contemplation, Korra brought her hand up to cup Asami’s cheek (and partially obscured the view from her parents). The girl’s lips were soft and sweet and instantly reminded Korra of why she hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her in the first place. They moved slowly against her own, allowing her the chance to savor each second. When Asami pulled away, Korra continued to hold her close, opening her eyes to softly plead with the girl. Asami met them, gaze clouded with emotion, and almost immediately returned to deepen the kiss. 

It was all Korra could do to hold back a sigh of relief as Asami’s lips opened against her own. Their tongues grazed - the sensation still so new and welcome to the touch-starved Korra - that she tensed her muscles in order to restrain herself.  _ Be cool, be cool. This is still just for the show.  _ Because she could enjoy it even if it was fake, right? 

Asami was the first to pull away again, much to Korra’s frustration.  _ For fuck’s sake!  _ Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she took a moment to stop herself from voicing her thoughts, as it for sure wasn’t the time or place. When she looked at Asami, she was taken aback to see the girl staring so intensely back at her. Her cheeks were flushed - brows furrowed in a way that seemed especially disheartened. Korra took a moment to catch her breath before saying anything.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” 

Asami shook her head and pulled away, taking her hand from Korra’s knee. “It’s nothing,” she said, her words in no way reassuring. “Nothing’s wrong.” 

Korra reached out and took her hand, squeezing softly. “You’re lying.” Asami paused and stared straight ahead, not looking back to her. Korra averted her gaze. “I guess you don’t have to tell me.” Where moments before she had felt light as a feather, it now seemed as if a rock had formed in her chest.  _ Did I do something wrong?  _ “I just… wanted to help, I guess.” 

There were a few beats of silence between them. Then, more cautiously than anything they’d done this far, she felt a gentle weight lean on her shoulder. Asami’s hand turned to entwine their fingers and she squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. You’re right.” She rested her cheek on the top of the girl’s head, blinking slowly to where the spirits still shone bright in the sky. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, let’s just enjoy the lights.” 

“Sounds good.” A small smile slipped through her anxiety as she felt Asami’s thumb stroke her hand. “Later is my favorite time to deal with problems.” 

Asami snorted.

* * *

They stayed for the remainder of the show. Once the spirit lights died down and the band was replaying a few fan favorites in the background, the small family made their way home. “I’ll heat up some leftovers,” her mother said as they reached the porch. “I don’t think we ate an honest meal all day! Girls, go clean up. Dinner will be ready soon.” 

Korra was going to ask which leftovers, but a rather severe tug on the arm from Asami seemed to tell her that she was needed. “Alright, Mom!” she called as she was dragged into her own bedroom by her very impatient friend. “Hey, that hurts!”

She shook the girl’s grip by the time they were in the room and turned to close the bedroom door. “I’m guessing you have something  _ very urgent  _ to say?” When she turned to face her, Asami was frozen stiff. She was staring almost past Korra, a worried fist clenched near her chin. “Uh, Asami?”

Her eyes flicked, catching Korra. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “It, uh… I guess… I guess what I’m trying to say is that this has all been for your parents, right? This whole… act?” 

“Well, yeah.” Korra blinked, her mind suddenly racing with worries.

“All the kissing and hand holding. It’s because we’re in the South, pretending to date.” 

“Yes…” Her answer was cautious. 

“So if we were to - hypothetically, of course - make out, that wouldn’t count... because it’s down here.”

Korra gulped, suddenly feeling very warm. “I guess it wouldn’t,” she agreed. “Since we’re here, and not in Republic City.” 

“Then it wouldn’t be weird if we did?” Asami’s gaze was intense - a loaded spring, prepared to launch. “If you want to, I mean. Otherwise-”

She didn’t wait for Asami to finish her sentence. It was her turn to interrupt as, with a little too much excitement, she lunged forward with the intent to kiss Asami like she’d never been kissed before. 

(Intent, of course, is only half the battle). 

In the movies, the heroes always end up passionately kissing like that. Korra realized how totally ridiculous that was as she collided with her friend and sent them both sprawling back onto the bed.  _ Maybe we landed in a super sexy way,  _ she hoped silently as her nose hit the mattress with nauseating force. “Ow.” It took a minute for the world to stop spinning as her eyes watered dangerously. When she came to, she was disappointed to realize that lady luck was not on her side. She’d landed nearly perpendicular on top of Asami, crushing the girl beneath her. “I’m sorry,” she gasped, scrambling to get off of her.

“It’s okay.”

She stopped, having propped herself on her elbows, now directly over Asami. Despite the absolute disaster that had befallen them the girl was smiling, her eyes sparkling. Korra grinned sheepishly. Every time Asami smiled at her like that, she felt like her heart was glowing. “So much for that, huh?”

Asami reached up and brushed Korra’s bangs out of the way, tucking them safely behind her ear. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Korra couldn’t remember a kiss sweeter than the one they shared after that. It was deep, but soft; slow, but inviting. Of all the times they’d kissed that day - all the frustrated moments they’d shared - they finally had the time and privacy to enjoy each other’s company. 

_ I mean, it’s just physical. It’s not like I’m gay  _ for  _ Asami. It’s like… friends with benefits.  _ That thought scared her and she promptly scribbled it out of her brain.  _ Nevermind. No more thinking. Just kissing.  _

Asami’s hands had started on her waist but gradually slid up to glide over her hips. Korra dared to break away from the girl’s lips, peppering her cheeks softly as she tried to avoid the distraction. She felt the girl shift beneath her and push up, bringing them both into a sitting position. Korra straddled her - almost self-conscious about doing so until she felt Asami’s arms wrap around her, pulling her in again. 

For a while, that was all Korra knew: the subtle edges of Asami’s nails over her clothes; her fingers in Asami’s hair; the last hint of alcohol on her tongue; the soft press of their torsos against one another. If Korra had ever considered the concept of heaven a reality, she was nearly sure this would be it. And, as the girl’s hands discreetly played at the hem of her shirt, Korra wasn’t sure how much more of it she could take. 

Perhaps fortunate for her, a rap on the door promptly brought them to a halt. “Dinner’s ready!” her mother called. “Get it before it’s cold!” 

And Korra was left staring at her friend - cheeks red and hair a mess as her fingers remained tangled in it. Asami offered her a shy smile which she reciprocated before pressing a soft kiss to the girl’s forehead. 

One day, perhaps, Korra would consider that day as when they fell in love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS what about a SU crossover? Not sure how it would work but I'm in the mood... idk if any of ya'll have ideas hit me up. I read all the comments and will respond if something really catches my eye (I've been super lazy recently but absolutely love getting the feedback).


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days earlier, while drinking, Korra promised Kallik she'd pay a visit before going home. The day has finally arrived, and Korra may be facing her biggest challenge yet: a... baby?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 17 of quarantine... started doing a DnD campaign. The cats are as loud as always, and I have learned that eating food is harder when you don't think about it. It's funny how life goes so fast while you're waiting for the chaos outside to get it's shit together. Currently somewhere between at-peace and crazy... but y'know, there are worse things in the world than being home. For example, I would die first in a zombie apocalypse. Staying home I can do naturally. 
> 
> Thanks for all the love! Seeing your comments absolutely makes my day every time :3 Nice to know we're all here to enjoy this tiny peace of quiet together.

The next morning, both girls took their time getting out of bed. 

Not for any inappropriate reason, of course. By the time Korra woke up, Asami was already sitting up and on her phone. Knowing they had a full day ahead, Korra did the same thing and started scrolling through social media. The last few days had been so busy she’d been neglecting her accounts and was eager to see how her friends were spending their holidays. 

“Looks like Bo and Opal are having a good time,” she mentioned casually as their picture came up on her feed. They were riding one of those turtle-duck rides.  _ So cheesy.  _

“Yeah, I saw that,” Asami murmured. “I wonder if he ever got to proposing. He mentioned he was thinking about it.” 

“Surprised it’s taken him this long.” Knowing Bolin, however, he would do it last minute and make it a  _ giant  _ show. “Well, holidays are a stupid time to propose anyway.”

Asami made a soft sound of agreement and they continued scrolling separately. 

“Did Mako end up doing anything interesting?” 

“Eh. He texted me that he was called-in last minute for a security gig in Ba Sing Se, so he got to see his family.” Korra nodded to show she was paying attention. “Not sure how it went. He hasn’t said anything on twitter.” 

“Of course not! That would be…” Korra shot her a serious look and said in her best Mako impression, “ _ strictly confidential. _ ”

Asami laughed so hard she snorted. “Yeah, but don’t forget. All three of his twitter followers might be ruffians for all we know!” 

“We  _ do  _ know!” Korra exclaimed. “Because it’s  _ us! _ The worst of the worst.” 

“That’s for sure.” Asami chuckled and turned back to her phone. There was a lengthy pause before she felt the girl shift beside her. “Hey Korra. Smile.” 

“Mmmmm no.” Korra continued scrolling, knowing full well what her friend was up to. 

The phone clicked, indicating the damage was done. “You’re an ass.” Asami’s fingers clicked on the screen as she typed. “I don’t think we’ve taken a single picture together since we’ve been here.” 

“That’s because my parents have been doing it for us,” she reminded her. She liked a picture of Tenzin and his family.  _ I can’t believe Rohan is already five.  _ It seemed like only a few days had passed since he was just a screaming baby. Katara had left a long comment about how Tenzin looked exactly like his father, which was a bit heartwarming. 

A notification popped up that Asami had sent her a post on instagram. Casting a suspicious look at her friend, she opened the messenger and clicked the link. 

It was the picture she’d taken. Half her face was obscuring the photo while the other half was Korra, bundled under many blankets, browsing with the grumpiest look on her face. The caption read: “Lazy morning with my favorite person! Wish we had some coffee… *pleading face emoji*”. 

Korra snorted. “Say it to my face, dork.” 

The bed shifted and Asami laid down beside her, chin resting on Korra’s shoulder. “Korra,” she said softly. “I want coffee.” 

Korra turned to look at her and immediately regretted it. Asami’s beautiful face was directly in front of her - absolutely irresistible to the poor girl’s heart. To make matters worse she was giving her puppy dog eyes that were so soft that Korra would probably sign off her entire life if she so much as asked. 

“Uh - we, uhhh…” She blinked a few times, struggling to find composure. “We have c-coffee. It’s just in the, um…” She pointed over her shoulder, indicating the general direction of the kitchen. “Yeah.” 

Asami batted her eyelashes. “Will you make some for me?” 

“Sure.”

Neither of them moved. 

“You… you might have to g-get off me first.” 

Asami sighed and rolled away. “Fine. It better be some damn good coffee.” 

“I’ll say.” She sat up, forcing herself to face the cold, harsh morning. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Something about the phrase sent a shiver down Korra’s spine. 

* * *

She bid good morning to her parents as she headed to the kitchen, grateful to find an already full pot waiting for her. “Do we have plans today?” she asked, grabbing two mugs out of the cupboard. 

“Not until tonight, so feel free to sleep in,” her mother assured her. 

“What’s going on tonight?” 

“Don’t you remember?” Korra’s brow furrowed as she opened the fridge. “You are going to Kallik’s for dinner.” 

_ Oh shit.  _ She had completely forgotten!  _ This is why I’ll never be a parent. I can’t remember this crap.  _ “Oh yeah! That old…. Dude.” 

Her mom laughed. “He’s younger than you, Korra.”

“Not by much.” Her father jumped in with a mildly defensive tone, which was more concerning than anything else. 

“No,” Senna agreed. “It just feels like he’s older since he’s married and has a family now.” 

She nervously poured creamer into her coffee, keeping her back to them so they wouldn’t sense her fear (after all, parents can smell fear). She fumbled through a few drawers, looking for a spoon to mix her drink. 

“I guess,” her father agreed. “But hey! It sounds like we may have a wedding in our future!” 

_ Oh no.  _ Korra wondered how much convincing it would take for Asami to be her fake wife. 

“Oh, that would be sweet,” Senna cooed. “Don’t you think, Korra? Even if you can’t have kids, it would still be so nice to see you girls get married.” 

Korra took a sip of her coffee. It was much too bitter. 

“Of course they can have kids!” Tonraq argued. “We need our great bloodline to continue! We can’t leave it up to Desna and Esna. Those two are weirdos…”

“Tonraq!”

“What? It’s true!” At this point Korra turned around, one mug in each hand, to see her father motioning for her to back him up. “They’re oddballs.” 

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Senna barked. “They’re  _ gay _ , they can’t have kids!”

_ Maybe I could borrow a baby from Bolin. They’ll have to have a baby soon, right?  _ She was starting to sweat from the stress of listening to this conversation.  _ Asami is a CEO. She can find a baby somewhere.  _

“Sure they can!” Her father seemed to be grasping at cobwebs here. “They can get a donor!”

_ Oh no. No, no, no.  _ Korra was  _ not  _ going to be pregnant, fake or real. “That sounds like a great idea, Dad,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “In fact, I’m going to go text Mako about it right now.” She steadily leapt into the hall before she could deal with the repercussions of her actions. A few vague shouts followed her as she masterfully dodged into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. 

She survived. She leaned back against the door and took a few deep breaths.  _ I’m never leaving this bedroom again.  _ She and Asami could escape through the window. She would have to move. Change her identity. Grow a beard. Cut her hair. Anything to escape the horrible fantasies her parents were laying out before her. 

“Uh… Korra?”

From the bed Asami had sat up and was staring at her - visibly concerned. Korra shook her head and approached the bed with shaky hands to give her her coffee. “My parents are trying to plan our wedding,” she sighed. 

“Ah.” Asami smirked, taking the mug. “I mean, the whole long-term idea really does put a wrench in your plans. It’s not like we’re supposed to be high school sweethearts.” 

“I know, but I just… it’s not that I don’t want to get married one day, y’know?” She scooted back under the covers, taking a sip of her drink before setting it on the nightstand. “But I’ve spent years just trying to be okay on my own. I don’t have time to date. I have a job and a life.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I thought this would get them off my back.” 

“I get it.” Asami set her drink aside. “Everybody expects me to settle down too. But I’ve got a business to run. And, frankly, that intimidates a lot of people.” Asami shifted so their arms were touching. “I’d much rather spend time with my friends - the people I care about. As much as I would like a partner…” She let the sentence trail off. Korra understood what she meant. She leaned her head on Asami’s shoulder. 

“They also think we’re going to have children.” 

Asami snorted with laughter. Korra smiled. “Well, I can’t promise anything,” her friend teased. “But uh… we can give it a shot. If you know what I mean. Wink wink.”

“Oh spirits!” Korra covered her face at the implication, unable to contain a few embarrassed giggles. “Not you too! Asami, I would make the worst parent and you know it.” 

She couldn’t see her friend's face but felt her still beside her. “I don’t know about that. I’m sure many people would make a worse parent than you.” 

Korra sat up, completely baffled that they were even having this conversation. “Look at me! I am so freaking self-absorbed. I spend half my time worrying about myself and another half worrying about my back.” She saw Asami grimace but couldn’t bring herself to regret saying it. “Sure, I can feed myself, but sometimes it’s just protein shakes. Or a smoothie. Hell, that’s all if I could even  _ afford  _ a kid!” 

“Those are all circumstantial,” Asami argued. “The fact of the matter is that you’re an amazing person. When you care about someone,” she motioned to herself, “you go out of your way for them.” She motioned to her coffee. “Plus you’ve kept Naga alive this long. This isn’t to say that I agree with your parents and that you need to have kids, but I think you’d be better at it than you think. And I’ll prove it.” 

Korra frowned. “How?” 

“Tonight. At Kallik’s.”

“ _ Fuck. _ ” In all the chaos, she had completely forgotten about that. “How am I the only one who can’t seem to remember that?”

“Cause you got wasted.” Asami sent her a sly smile as she took a sip of her coffee. Normally Korra would search for a comeback, but she was done with confrontation for the day. Falling back on her pillow, she unlocked her phone a grumpily continued her morning scrolling. 

_ What happened to my relaxing morning?  _

* * *

Much like everything else in town, Kallik lived a short, ten-minute walk away. When they found the cabin, Korra was actually rather impressed. “That’s a nice build,” she mumbled as they approached the door. 

“Yes,” Asami agreed cautiously. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“It’s rather traditional around here for a newly wed couple to build their first home.” She eyed the sturdy walls and windows. “The Kallik I remembered wouldn’t have been able to do this. Though change comes for the best of us I guess.” 

“You could say that.” Asami took her hand. They’d been going easy on the affection thing today, probably due to Korra’s nosy ass parents. The action stood out as a gentle reminder that, for their time here, they were a couple. “You ready?” 

Korra nodded, offering her a smile.  _ Anything will be better than having to spend the night with Mom and Dad.  _ With the end of their trip quickly approaching, Korra was definitely feeling homesick. While she truly loved her parents and enjoyed spending time with them, their constant presence for the last week was starting to feel overbearing. As Asami knocked on the door, Korra took some comfort knowing that they would be on their way home soon. 

_ And I guess things will go back to normal.  _

She didn’t notice her smile falter. 

Kallik answered the door. “Korra! Asami!” He greeted them each with a hug. “It’s so good to see you! Please, come in.” The door opened to reveal a snug, cozy cabin. It was quite obvious that a toddler lived there - there were dozens of photos on the wall of the family and even a few stray toys that must’ve been forgotten during cleaning. 

“This place is impressive,” she commented, eyeing up the soft sofa. “How did you do this all on your own?” 

Well, it wasn’t just me,” he chuckled. “I couldn’t have done it without my wife. Speaking of which…”

A woman had just peeked her head around a wall that (Korra assumed) hid the kitchen. “Oh, good! You’ve made it.” She drew forward to offer each of them a polite handshake. “I’m Ahnah. It’s so nice to see you again.” Korra smiled, though she couldn’t honestly remember the last time she’d seen Ahnah.  _ Maybe at the rink? She did work there for a while…  _

“And you must be Asami.” She took Asami’s hand. “Kallik has been talking about you two nonstop for the last few nights.” Kallik put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and teased her for making him look bad. As Korra gave them both an honest look for the first time, she couldn’t help but feel that they made sense (as a couple, that is). Kallik seemed to have trimmed his beard for the occasion and Ahnah’s long, dark hair was pulled back into an intricate braid. She had large, soft eyes as she smiled at her husband. From somewhere deep down in her gut, Korra felt an ache she thought she’d forgotten. 

“When we got engaged, I had no idea what I was doing,” Kallik admitted. “Construction work is a bit above my paygrade. But Ahnah comes from a family of carpenters. She taught me a lot and, when it was finished, let me worry about the decorating.” He beamed. Indeed, the walls were adorned with paintings and, on one, an afghan. It was definitely the sort of sensitive work she knew Kallik thrived with. 

“It’s beautiful,” she commented, still looking around the room. 

“And the construction is so sturdy! This quality is beyond impressive.” Ahnah blushed as Asami complemented her work. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl. It’s just in my blood at this point.” 

Asami’s eyes glowed. “I know exactly how you feel. I’m the same with my work.” 

“Oh, yeah!” Kallik slapped his forehead, as if just realizing something. “Asami, what  _ do  _ you do for a living?” 

Their eyes met - green questioning as they inquired with blue. Korra shrugged.  _ It’s not like news about Asami Sato’s love life will reach the far crevices of Harbor City.  _ At least she hoped it wouldn’t. 

“I run a business in the city, but I’m more of a tech guru than a carpenter myself.” 

“Isn’t that neat?” Ahnah’s eyes glowed and she put a hand on Kallik’s shoulder. “We could run a business out here, but there’s not much demand for the industry at all!” She frowned. “Usually the most work I get is orders for chairs. At some point you just get tired of building chairs.” 

“And dinner tables,” Kallik added brightly. Ahnah shot him a glare. 

“You know, you could probably find good work with that in the city,” Asami pointed out.

Korra snorted. “All the way to Republic City? They’d be crazy to move that far!” 

Asami shot her a look. “You moved to Republic City.” 

“Yes, and I was crazy!” She knew Asami couldn’t argue that. “And I mean, now I like it. But it’s had time to grow on me. Now I can’t even imagine moving back to somewhere this small and quiet.” 

“Especially now that you have your girlfriend’s business to worry about,” Kallik offered her.  _ Oh, yeah. I guess.  _ Though, to be fair, Future Industries was such a mammoth, it could probably find a way. 

“That too. And all our friends are in the city.” She shook her head. “But that doesn’t matter. I believe you guys had someone else to introduce us to?”

Kallik’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! Hold on!” Releasing his wife, he sprinted into the hallway and out of sight. Ahnah giggled as he went, shaking her head. 

“He shows her off like she’s a new puppy sometimes. He gets away with it because she’s a little charmer, but one of these days….”

When he returned, he held what was indeed a cute, small child in his arms. “Guys, this is Alasie.” The girl seemed a bit apprehensive and had her head on her father’s chest, hand grasping his beard. “She’s shy at first but she warms up quickly.” 

“Looks like she’s got a good hold on you,” Korra teased as the toddler tugged on her father’s facial hair. “Doesn’t that hurt?”

“A little,” he admitted, “but I think she likes it.” 

“It’s like when they say ‘daddy’s little girl’,” Ahnah explained, “except it’s the complete opposite. Because softie over here can’t resist letting her get away with whatever she wants.” She stuck her tongue out at her daughter who giggled. “He used to be that way with me.” 

“I still am!” Kallik argued, a pained grimace on his face. “Just… gotta share the love.” 

Korra couldn’t help but chuckle at the little family.  _ They are pretty cute.  _ A hand took hers and she felt a breath against her ear. “How do you feel about kids now?” 

“That’s not fair,” she responded under her breath. “That baby is being cute. Besides, it’s not kids I have a problem with.” It was her parents expecting her to have one in the next month. 

“If you say so.” Asami leaned back and squeezed her hand. 

_ Asshole. _

* * *

Dinner was ready soon after, where they were served five flavor soup with a side of rice on a very nice table. The meal was delicious and, all-in-all, the four seemed to have a good time chatting. A little too good when Kallik pulled out a bottle of champagne and gave Korra a look she knew all too well. 

“Kallik,  _ no. _ ”

“What?” he asked, voice dripping in mock innocence. “I was just thinking we should add a little something to this lovely meal.” 

“I don’t know how expensive that was, but we are not here to drink your fancy alcohol.” She looked to Asami for back up but she wasn’t looking in her direction.  _ Traitor.  _

“It wasn’t expensive at all,” Ahnah assured her.

“Plus, we’ve been saving it for a special occasion.” Kallik had grabbed four glasses and was setting them on the table. “And what’s more special than spending a night with friends?”

Korra was going to continue arguing but felt a hand rest on her knee beneath the table. This time when she glanced in her direction, Asami was looking at her. “That’s very sweet of you two,” she said softly. The look she was giving Korra could only have come directly from the board room. “Let’s make a toast.” 

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Ahnah exclaimed. She smiled broadly at Korra. “What do you think we should toast?” 

Korra’s brow furrowed. For things like this, she liked to be as vague as possible. “How about to another year?” she suggested. 

Kallik scoffed. “Really? That’s the lamest toast you could make the day after the festival.” 

“I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas, dumbie.” She’d been about to say dumbass, but the baby was playing on the floor in the living room. 

“It’s not a bad toast,” Ahnah tried to defend her. “But maybe we need something that’s a bit more… y’know. Asami, what do you think?”

Asami rubbed her chin. “Personally, I will toast to the new year.” Her voice carried with a commanding presence - the kind that kept the other three quiet as she chose her words carefully. “With each passing one, we are greeted with new challenges. New opportunities. We can never know what to expect.” Korra nodded as the girl paused. “What’s important to me, however, is not what life will bring, but the people I will be facing it with.” She took Korra’s hand above the table and gave it a firm squeeze. She glanced up at Asami, any last traces of indignance melting as the soft, green eyes of her best friend bore into her. “So here’s to another year with the people we hold most dear. Life is nothing with no one to share it with.” 

Quiet mutters of agreement followed as the four clinked their glasses. “That was a good one,” Korra admitted as she set down her drink. 

“Absolutely.” Ahnah beamed at her. “It’s always nice to remember how lucky we are to have each other.” 

From the other end of the table, Kallik sniffled. “That was beautiful,” he murmured, wiping the corners of his eyes. “I couldn’t have said it better.”

Ahnah rolled her eyes but smiled. “With each passing year, you become more emotional, my love.” She reached over and took her husband’s hand. He offered her a watery smile. 

“And with each day, you become more beautiful.” 

“Oh, spirits.” 

“That physically hurt.”

“Not good.” 

* * *

They ended up finishing the evening in the living room. Despite her current misgivings about babies, Korra chose to lay on the floor next to where the little one was playing. Her parents had given her three stuffed animals - a polar-bear dog, a tiger-seal, and an otter-penguin. She currently held the stuffed dog and was hitting it against the ground. 

“So… uh… what’s the dog’s name?”

The baby blinked at her. 

“The puppy? The… the polar-bear dog?” She pointed to the toy. “What’s his name?”

“Ohhhh,” Alasie nodded sagely. “Snow Dog.” 

“Snow dog?” The words were difficult to decipher, but Korra was sure she’d heard her right. “That’s a cool name. I named mine Naga.” 

The toddler looked confused. “Nana?”

“No. Naga.” 

“Nanana!” She held out the dog to Korra, waving it excitedly in front of her face. 

“Ah.” 

She did not understand children. 

“Snow Dog is her favorite toy,” Kallik explained. He was on the sofa with his wife, beaming proudly at his daughter. “But Pengy is a close second.” 

Korra nodded.  _ Kids really are shit at names, huh?  _ She stared at the small human, unable to picture herself caring for one of her own. That didn’t even go to mention that she absolutely had no intentions of ever being pregnant and caring for an infant.  _ Maybe I could get a non-baby one. That can do things like talk. And use the bathroom.  _

But really none of that mattered. Because if she ever were to adopt a kid, she would want to bring it into a stable home with a loving family. That was not something she would be able to provide on her own.

As much as the responsibility of such a small thing scared her, she had to admit it was pretty cute. Alasie was still looking at her, big smile on her face. “Hair!” She made grabbing motions up at Korra.  _ Oh no.  _ She wasn’t sure how comfortable she was with the baby touching her hair. “Hair, pweas.” Korra cast a panicked glance back to Kallik. 

“Oh, no! She doesn’t want your hair.” He stood. Alaise saw him and held out her arms for ‘up’. “She wants you to braid her hair. She loves it.” He picked her up. “What do you say, Alsie? Do you want Pops to braid your hair?” 

“No,” the baby whined, pointing back to the floor. “Wan hair!” 

Kallik glanced down to Korra. “I… I don’t really know much about hair,” she admitted. “I’m sorry.” 

“Can I give it a shot?” Asami spoke from her lone chair where she had watched the scene transpire. “I love braiding hair.” 

Kallik glanced between Asami and his daughter. “Did you hear that? Auntie Asami says she’ll do your hair!” 

Alasie was hesitant, but as her father handed her off to Asami, she seemed happy. “Hair!” she exclaimed as Asami balanced her on her lap and began running her fingers through the girl’s hair. 

“Yes, hair. You have very nice hair, Alasie.” Asami’s eyes glowed at the girl’s excitement. “Your hair is very good for braiding!” 

Korra nodded. “Water tribe hair.” Traditionally the people of her tribe had very thick hair. 

They chatted as Asami worked. Despite having spent years recovering down here, she quickly realized that her old friends had no idea what was going on in her life.  _ Maybe it’s because I hid.  _ She knew that was the case but ignored it - she didn’t want that memory to get in the way of their delightful evening. 

“So I got my degree and started working in physical rehab. I’ve been there ever since.”

“That is so amazing.” Ahnah’s words were heavy. “Rehabilitation is so important and underappreciated. What was it that inspired you to go into the field?” 

The tension in the room became palpable. From where Asami was working the girl’s head snapped to look at her. Kallik’s response was similar, though much less exaggerated. “Uh, that’s a… that’s a topic that’s-” 

“It’s okay, Kallik.” Korra took a deep breath.  _ It’s a new year. Let’s stop hiding it and put it behind me.  _ “I transfered to Republic City to get a scholarship for soccer. But in my second semester I was… I was in an accident that left me paralyzed.” From the corner of her eye, Asami was frowning stiffly as she worked. “I came back to Harbor City to start my rehabilitation under the guidance of Katara and Kya. That lasted two years. I spent the next year rehabilitating in Republic City and working towards my degree so I could help others like me.” She cast a meaningful look at Asami. “We keep dancing around the subject because it’s hard for me, but I’m in the rehabilitation career for crying out loud. This… thing is going to come up. There’s no protecting me.” 

The moment of silence that followed was… unnerving. It was honestly the first time Korra had ever come out and said straightforward what happened; she had no idea how her friends were going to react to it.  _ No pity,  _ she hoped. That was her least favorite reaction of them all - the pity in their eyes as they glared down at her.  _ No. They’re not looking down on me. I’m okay.  _

“That’s amazing,” Ahnah whispered, surprising everyone in the room. 

“A - amazing?” Korra stammered, taken aback.  _ That’s a new one.  _

“Yes. That you can go through something so traumatic but turn around and help others going through the same.” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine. You are so strong for doing that.” 

“Uh… thank you.” She had never really thought about it like that - how it sort of dug up her trauma every day.  _ But it’s also helped me get past it.  _ Though it did seem like a noble cause, when she put it like that. “Honestly, I didn’t think of that. I only went into rehab because my accident crushed my chances of being a professional athlete.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at that. 

Much to her surprise, Kallik also stirred with laughter. “You always were such a pain about your sports, remember?” She didn’t appreciate him saying it like that, but she nodded. “Forget that nonsense, we’re just lucky you’re alive to tell the story.” 

“That’s true.” She usually hated thinking that, but for some reason she was smiling this time. She caught Asami’s gaze. The girl didn’t seem amused. “Oh c’mon, ‘Sams. It’s in the past. We can laugh about it now.” 

But Asami didn’t laugh. 

* * *

They said their goodbyes to Kallik, Ahnah, and Alasie (who now had two beautiful braids) and enjoyed the quiet walk home. Night had set and no questions were raised as the girls went to their room to get changed. It was only then that Korra really noticed Asami was being too quiet as she sat on the bed - staring straight ahead. 

“Uh… Asami?” 

“Yes?” She didn’t move. 

“Are you… okay? You’ve been a bit quiet since we left Kallik’s.” 

“Oh.” She had a pajama shirt on the bed next to her but hadn’t bothered to change into it. “Yeah, it’s fine.” 

Korra  _ hated  _ when she said that. “Well obviously it’s not fine, since you’re fixing that wall with one hell of a stare.” 

Asami shot her a stony, unamused look. “I’m sorry, Korra. Maybe I’m just ....” She fell silent. Korra raised her brow and motioned for her to continue. “It’s shitty.”

“What’s shitty?”

“Me. How I feel.” She shook her head. “You’re my friend. I love you. I want you to be better. But hearing you talk about your accident… it upset me.” 

_ Oh.  _ This was one of those real talk conversations. Korra took a seat on the bed next to Asami, devoting her attention to the girl. “You don’t need to worry about me anymore. I mean sure, I still have nightmares sometimes, but it’s gotten better-”

“It’s not about you.” Asami turned to her, eyes wide and imploring. “That’s the problem. It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s… it’s me.” She rested her head in her hands, hiding her face. “I can’t bear to remember you like that. On the sidewalk…” Korra grimaced. She often forgot Asami was there. “I thought… I - I thought I lost you. And since my dad died....” She sniffed, wiping her hands on her shirt. “You mean -  _ so much  _ \- to me. I can’t stand to think about what could have happened.”

Korra wrapped her arm around Asami’s waist. “‘Sami, it’s okay. You don’t have to think that way cause it’s fine. I’m fine.” The girl’s head rested on Korra’s shoulder and she felt her shaking beneath her grip. “No, seriously! I could be a professional athlete! I chose not to!” That was half true - the chances of her being injured and paralyzed again was way too high for her to be comfortable. 

Asami half-sobbed half-laughed. “I-I know. You’re not going to… you’re not going to leave me, then?” 

“Of course not. You’re my best friend.” She rested her cheek on top of Asami’s head - a gesture she had been getting used to . “And I’m all good. See? Toes!” She wiggled her toes for the effect - an actual strategy she relied on during panic episodes. Much to her relief, she got a giggle out of her friend. “And my legs too.” She took Asami’s hand and set it on her thigh. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Asami hugged her. “Thanks.” 

Korra pulled her tighter, relaxing at the feeling of her friend close to her. “Anytime.” 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their last day in the South, Korra struggles to spend the end of their vacation appeasing her parents. Thankfully, Asami is there to remind her how lucky she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, ya'll! This chapter was a bit of a bitch! But with a little help from my sweetest Swede, I was able to pull it off!   
> Thank you all so much for the love. The comments and kudos on this fic actually mean a lot. I've read every single comment thus far and honestly... they brighten my day. 
> 
> I'm also proud to admit that this is probably going to be the first multi-chapter fic I've finished in YEARS! I'm writing the climax as we speak and am excited to finish it and show it off! I think it should be less than 20 chapters, but I'm starting 16 shortly so...
> 
> Also, just for your knowledge, this is about a month into my quarantine... yikes. Hypothetically my work will reopen at the end of the month but... who knows tbh. Keep hanging in there, friends. On the bright side, plenty of time for fan fiction, DnD, and video games! I've finally become a fully-fledged nerd! :)
> 
> Stay safe all!

The next day was their last in Harbor City. Korra was more than happy to just spend the time relaxing, but Asami insisted they get an early start on packing. “So we won’t be stressing about it,” she explained as she neatly folded her dirty clothes into her suitcase. Korra didn’t quite agree with the sentiment but decided to get it out of the way nonetheless.

She tucked the gifts she’d received very carefully into the luggage. “I didn’t pack enough clothes,” she sighed as she realized she would probably have to wear her dirty pyjamas on the plane. She’d noticed the night before that they were probably ready for a wash.  _ Oh well. What’s one more day, right?  _

“You’ve been wearing that shirt for days. Here.” Asami tossed over a purple sweatshirt. As Korra picked it up, she read the front.

“‘ _ Trust me, I’m an Engineer _ ’. Really, ‘Sams?”

Asami elbowed her as she chuckled. “It was a birthday gift from Bolin. I figured if I was ever going to wear it, it would be in the arctic. Plus it’s like three sizes too big.” Korra held it up; it was indeed much too large for either of them, making it the perfect size for a hoodie. 

“Thanks.” She retreated a few feet back and stood up. “Don’t look back,” she warned as she pulled her night shirt off. 

“Korra, please,” her friend sighed, adding another article of clothing to her bag. “We are both adults here. I have seen you half naked before.” 

Korra nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t have a bra on.” She slipped into the hoodie. It was new but had the lingering scent of Asami’s perfume clinging to it, somehow making it even cozier. 

“Oh. Uh, yeah.” 

When she sat next to her, Asami’s face was red. “Thanks. This thing is awesome.” She put her other shirt with the rest of her dirty laundry. “You should totally wear it to work one day.” 

Asami snorted, pointedly avoiding Korra’s direction. “Yeah. Because I spend my time actually making cars. I  _ wish.”  _ She shook her head. “These days I’m lucky to leave the office, let alone set foot in the garage.” 

“Work sucks.” Even as she said it, Korra knew she didn’t mean it. Sure, there were long days, but she quite enjoyed her job. After spending a week on vacation, she was even missing it. 

“Except for when it doesn’t.” She smiled as Asami seemed to read her mind. “Spirits. I can’t wait to get back. I don’t remember the last time I went this long without obsessing over my business.” 

“Maybe you need to take vacations more often,” Korra reminded her as she finally closed her now-packed suitcase. “You know, like I’ve been saying for  _ years. _ ”

Asami shook her head slightly. “No. Vacations don’t do much for me. I usually just work right through them. I don’t know what has gotten in my head for this one…”

“You just needed some good ol’ fashioned off-time with your best friend.” Korra put an arm on her shoulder, drawing the girl’s attention to her. She felt a flutter in her stomach as Asami smiled - soft, sweet, and genuine (it was one of her favorite smiles from the girl). “I, for one, am… so grateful you came along. I have had the best time, even if we have had to pretend to be in love for most of it.” 

And just like that, it was gone. Asami frowned and glanced back to her luggage. “It was nothing,” she murmured, almost too quiet for Korra to hear. “You, uh… it’s not hard to pretend with you.” Korra shifted her weight and stared down at her lap as her heart pounded.  _ Wait, what?  _ What was that supposed to mean? “B-because we’re already so close,” the girl continued quickly. “And I value you so much as a friend.” She saw the girl’s hand reach over and rest on her knee. “So thanks for inviting me.” 

“No problem.”

* * *

When they’d finished packing, they went out to enjoy lunch with Korra’s parents. “-and we are so excited to have that DVD player working!” Senna was beaming as she spoke, piling another serving of rice onto Korra’s plate (Korra wasn’t sure how much more she could handle). “This has been the best week. It’s been so good to see you both.”

Tonraq nodded, agreeing with his wife. “And to meet Asami, for that matter! When Korra told us last spring that she was seeing someone, we were so excited for her. But we never could’ve expected…” He just motioned vaguely at her, which was a bit uncomfortable. Asami blushed a little and looked down at her meal. “We’re so glad you were able to take us up on our offer.” 

“Absolutely!” Senna was picking up the empty dishes in front of herself and her husband. “It’s going to be so quiet once you girls leave. I can’t imagine what we’ll do with the whole house to ourselves again.” 

“Thanks for having us.” 

Korra was poking at the remaining food on her plate when Asami reached for it. She handed it to the girl, knowing she couldn’t eat another bite. “It’s been wonderful, being able to come down here,” Asami responded, taking the dishes over to the counter. “Even if it’s a bit cold.” She saw the girl share a laugh with her mother.

“Well, you are always welcome back.” Her mother pulled Asami into a hug - one it didn’t seem the girl was expecting as her arms fell limply to her side. “With or without Korra.” Upon releasing the girl, she winked. Korra couldn’t help but laugh. 

“What, are you replacing me now?” 

Her mother giggled. “Oh c’mon Korra. It’s been so long since we had kids to tease around the house.” As Asami returned to her seat, she was blushing. “Besides, Asami has been nothing but a doll since she got here.” 

“And, if memory serves me…” Her father paused as he thought. “Weren’t you two friends back when Korra had her accident?” At their quiet nods, he continued. “She was the one that was there at the hospital when we were traveling, wasn’t she?” 

“Oh, yeah.” She had forgotten that. Asami had actually been the one to call the ambulance that day. She glanced to her friend, frowning. “You came the next day to give me brownies, right?”

Asami’s eyes were sad, but the slightest smile teased her cheeks. “No. I was there right after the accident, but once you were stable I left for a change of clothes. I brought a vending machine brownie with me to eat, but as soon as I tried to open it you woke up.”

“That’s our Korra!” Her father roared with laughter. “She was the same way when she was a kid!” 

Korra stared at her, bemused. “But… I remember eating a brownie…”

“Yes, because you did.” Asami shook her head, now beaming down at the table. “The first thing you said when you woke up was ‘Hell yeah, brownies’. And like… you’d almost died so…” She shrugged. “The doctor said you could have a little bit.” 

Huh. She didn’t have clear memories from the weeks following the accident, but that brownie had definitely been the highlight. The thought was pushed from her mind as her mother returned to the table, wielding a large, gaudy book. “Well, I’ve been wanting to find time for this all week. I can’t imagine one better than now.” She turned the book around revealing the title:

**‘Korra’s Baby Album’**

“She had the cutest pictures,” her mother continued (without Korra’s consent) as she opened the first page. “Spirits, she was such an  _ adorable  _ little monster back then!” 

“Mom I don’t think Asami-”

“I’d love to!” Asami cut her off almost instantly - suddenly wearing the biggest, most shit-eating-est grin.  _ Sinister.  _ As her mother led them to the living room (to allow more comfortable viewing, of course), Asami’s smile only spread - to the point Korra was sure it was going to fall off her face.

_ A whole week down South. We almost avoided this.  _

They shared the couch - album on Asami’s lap - as Senna watched from over their shoulders. Quite frankly, there were a few pictures Korra did like. A few with her and her father playing in the snow or cooking with her mother. What she didn’t appreciate were the  _ dozens  _ of photos of her wearing only a diaper, or ill-fitting shirts that showed off her chubby toddler belly. Or the picture of her (again, naked) having fallen face-first into a snowdrift. “That can’t be legal,” Korra noted. “I could’ve lost my nose or something.” 

“For everything we tried to stop you from doing, you ended up finding another way to get in trouble,” her mother sighed, much too delighted. “That was right after we told you it was time for a bath. Instead you ran and tried to play outside. It was too cute! Besides, look at that little butt.” Her mother pointed at it, just to make sure Asami didn’t miss it (not like it was the focal point of the picture or anything). 

“C’mon, Korra.” She felt a hand on her knee and chanced a glance at her friend. Given the circumstances, Asami seemed much too pleased. But the smile reached her eyes as she continued. “It is a pretty cute baby butt.” 

_ Kill me. Fucking kill me. Please.  _

Of course, there were pictures of Korra in a bathtub at all ages. Why? She couldn’t say. The newborn one was kinda cute, but by the time she was almost six, it was a bit weird. Thankfully, for the older pictures, her parents had been a lot more generous with the bubbles. The last picture was her and a very young Naga both sitting in the bathtub, the puppy biting at suds as Korra hugged her.  _ Well that’s kind of sweet.  _ They spent a few extra minutes on that one. 

“We had no clue what to do with a polar-bear dog,” her father chuckled. “But we were just so glad you’d come home in one peice, we decided the least we could do was open our hearts and home to another lost baby. Of course, you received a bath first thing.”

“You both smelled awful,” her mother chimed in, taking the album and setting it on the coffee table. “Once we got the wild animal smell off of her, it was a lot easier to understand why you loved her.” 

“Thanks for sharing.” Asami’s voice was very genuine, despite the fact that she had just browsed the most emotionally scarring album of Korra photos to date. “That was adorable.” 

Her mother lit up. “Anytime! Oh, actually…” She looked to her husband. “What about the camera? We’ve taken so many beautiful pictures this week!”  _ No! _

“ACTUALLY Asami and I really should go finish packing!” She grabbed Asami’s arm as she jerked forward, pulling the girl behind her. “We’ll come back but we really need to finish this c’mon Asami.” She didn’t stall as they left the living room and only paused as soon as the door of her childhood room was securely closed. “Fucking hell,” she sighed, leaning back against the door. “I’m so sorry you had to sit through that.” 

“What? You’re kidding!” Asami’s bewildered expression changed again to a smile. “I thought you were so cute! Baby you was the most adorable little thing I’ve ever seen.” 

_ Ugh.  _ She hated being patronized like this. A rock settled in her stomach as she went to start repacking her suitcase. “I guess.” She couldn’t handle how downright cheery (and possibly smug) the girl was.  _ Of course. I would be too if I got that much blackmail on a person.  _ She grabbed her suitcase and lobbed it onto the bed - preparing to open it up again. When she spared a glance at Asami, her friend seemed deep in thought. “Uh… ‘Sams?” 

“What?” Asami looked up, taken aback. “Oh, sorry. I just… I don’t know. Your parents are really awesome. I barely remember having a family and now, seeing yours…” She laughed, though it seemed to be out of awkwardness more than anything else. “I don’t know. I guess I feel bad. Do they deserve this? I mean… they just want what’s best for you… and here we’ve been playing them for the last week.” 

She zipped the suitcase closed and sat on the bed, motioning for her friend to do the same. “I do too, but… it’s better this way. Trust me.” As her friend seemed uneasy, she continued. “Besides, they’d forgive you if they found out. Girlfriend or not, they’ve really taken to you. You’ll always have a place with this family… especially now that we learned you sacrificed a whole brownie for me.” 

Asami’s giggle was soft in reality but seemed loud enough to fill the whole room. “I told you, it was just the corner. The doctor didn’t want you getting sick.” 

“Then I guess you owe me another brownie.” 

Their quiet, joined laughter filled the room, leaving everything just as it should be. Korra smiled warmly at her friend. “Alright. This is our last day. I’m gonna stop being a baby and spend some more time with my parents.” 

“Sounds good.” Asami nodded. “I think I’ll take a shower and join you guys shortly. Make me some coffee?” 

Korra rolled her eyes. “Of course.” 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the plane ride home, things take an unexpected turn. TW ANXIETY/PANIC. See notes for details.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week... 4? Day ?? of quarantine. Despite a few vet visits for fosters, life has been... quiet. Beginning to wonder if I am a messy person and why I hate schedules. And will I find love? Will work open up in 10 days? Only time can tell. 
> 
> The trigger warning is for a panic attack in this chapter. We can all pretend it's not big deal, but it did draw up some lingering anxiety for me for the next few days after I wrote it. These are tough times, so please be aware of what you can and can't handle. It is in the middle... if you want a way to read the chapter without that let me know. I might find a way. 
> 
> Oh, uh, also, this chapter is hella gay.

Things were… tense. 

While Korra normally felt this way during any plane ride, the luxury jet almost made it difficult to be uncomfortable. As she sat in her own cozy, reclinable chair overlooking the beautiful land beneath them, she couldn’t help but wonder if her worries had something to do with her friend - sat just a few feet away. 

“I still can’t believe you own such a fancy plane.”

Asami made a noise of nonchalance. “It was originally a prototype. It comes in handy.” 

Silence fell - more awkwardly than it had between them in the last week.  _ Is this what it’s going to be like now?  _ Maybe they were just sick of each other. After all, she would’ve killed Mako after just three days of prolonged contact (five for Bolin).  _ No.  _ That didn’t seem right. Even as she found her gaze wandering to her friend, she had a nagging notion that it wasn’t overexposure. Her eyes traced the worried lines of Asami’s face, catching the girl’s brightly painted lips.  _ Fuck.  _ Would it be weird now that they’d… well… crossed a line the typical friends shouldn’t?  _ Hmmmm. _

For all the tension in the air, she didn’t seem to regret the physical affection.  _ Friends cuddle. Friends hold hands.  _ So really, it wasn’t all that weird, right?  _ You’re not going to find any answers like this anyway,  _ she silently chastised.  _ Therapy is literally in your job description. Just talk to her. You’ll feel better. _

“Uh… Asami?” 

Asami’s head turned to look at her. “Yes?” 

_ Shit.  _ She never made it past this part in her head. “I, um… I was just wondering.” The girl settled in her seat, radiating the patience of a business woman. “Things aren’t gonna be weird now… right?” 

Asami’s brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to respond but paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “Weird how?” 

“Well, y’know.” She shrugged, shrinking into herself slightly. “This vacation was just… a lot more personal than I expected. Are we going to be able to go back to normal now? After all the…” she gulped, hoping she wouldn’t have to say it. When Asami didn’t swoop in, she realized how childish she was being.  _ For fuck’s sake! You’re a grown adult! Just fucking say it!  _ “...kissing.”

She diverted her attention back to the window, where the plane was passing over water.  _So much for a scenic trip._ When Asami’s voice came, it was soft. “It’ll be fine.” Korra glanced at her but her gaze was not met. “We knew what we were getting into. It would take a lot more than that to ruin what we have.” Asami grinned, eyes twinkling as they finally flicked back to Korra’s. She chuckled. “Your loss, though. I mean… for what it’s worth, we were _pretty_ good at being a couple.” 

Korra snorted. “I’ll say. A pair like us would give any other celebrity a run for their money.” She settled back into her chair - the tension finally leaving her shoulders. “I mean, we’re both hot. You’re rich. I’ve got that rugged charm and killer biceps. Honestly, it wouldn’t be fair.” She ran a hand through her hair, watching a few wispy clouds float past the window. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing it was a vacation fling. Republic City couldn’t handle our heat.” 

“Absolutely.” Korra nodded with her friend and grabbed her drink from the end table beside her. She took a long, slow sip.  _ It’s a good thing that’s all over. I mean, what would we say to our friends? Or Mako?? Spirits, is he gonna be awkward after this trip? I mean, two of his ex girlfriends kissed. And now I’m probably not straight… is he turning girls gay?  _ She set the glass back down, sighing at her internal dialogue.  _ At least it’s over now and we aren’t going to do anything like that ever again.  _

“Hey, Korra.” 

“Yeah?” She emerged from her thoughts to Asami’s sharp gaze piercing through her thoughts. 

“Technically, we’re over international waters.” 

Korra squinted. “Yes….”

“So we’re not in Republic City.” 

Asami sat forward, as if waiting for Korra to pick up on what she was saying. “I guess not,” she agreed cautiously. Her friend raised her eyebrows - a question Korra simply couldn’t understand. “W - what are you getting at?” 

The girl scooted to the edge of her chair, leaning forward to rest her hand over one of Korra’s. “We’re not home yet,” she murmured. “Technically, this is still part of our vacation.” Korra flipped her hand and curled it under Asami’s. “So, hypothetically, if we wanted to wrap up any… loose ends…” She bit her lip as she said it.

Well, since the opportunity presented itself….

She tasted of raspberry. Very waxy raspberry - definitely not made with flavor in mind. Of course, in Korra’s opinion, it was the sweetest thought that had ever lingered on her lips. She sank into the chair with Asami, legs straddling the girl’s waist as she leaned back. There was an unexpected pop and both of them fell a few inches as the chair reclined, leaving Korra confused and uncoordinated. “What the-” 

“Dammit!” 

She scratched her head despondently before looking to Asami. The woman was beneath her - now fully reclined back in the chair. Her gaze met Korra’s as she frowned; pink painting her cheeks (as Korra was sure it did hers too). “I’m so sorry - I didn’t mean to do that - I can’t believe I managed to ruin that - How stupid am I - I’m going to go-” 

Asami pulled her down and stopped her rambling with another kiss.  _ Fuck.  _ Her tongue was as soft as Korra remembered as it drew her in - removing any final stray thoughts as it glided against her own. Korra couldn’t help but respond. Her hands grabbed Asami’s hips and she pulled their bodies closer, as if fueled by the need to feel her against her.  _ Spirits.  _ Her mind kept grasping for words but each time came to a loss.  _ Finally.  _

That seemed to carry an air of foreboding. 

Asami’s hands, once balled in fists on her shoulders, had relaxed. One trailed it’s way down Korra’s neck - nails digging softly into the tender skin. Korra pulled away from the girl and bit back a groan. She glanced down at her friend, surprised by the frown that met her. Before she could begin even wonder, the same nails raked down her neck again - this time with force. “Shit…” The word escaped her, barely a whisper. “S-Sami… wh-” The other hand was in her hair, pulling her back for a deep kiss. 

Something about it seemed… different. In all the time they’d spent together in the last week, Korra was sure she hadn’t felt anything quite like this. Whether it was the impending threat of Republic City or the freedom of knowing they finally had a few moments truly to themselves, Korra couldn’t be sure, but it was  _ exhilarating.  _ She ground her hips down against Asami’s, craving the spark that leapt up her spine as the girl responded beneath her. She felt a hum against her lips and focused her attention elsewhere - pressing a few quick kisses to Asami’s cheeks as she was pushed down toward her neck with a surprisingly rough grip. As soon as her lips met the smooth, warm skin, Asami moaned.  _ Ooooh. Oh, yes. Gotcha.  _

The next few minutes were bliss. She pampered Asami’s neck with everything she could muster - escalating to a love bite that she was sure they would both come to regret. She worked with great precision, earning each whimper as they escaped the girl’s lips. Asami’s arms had wrapped under her own and her hands set on her shoulder blades in a tight embrace. If Korra were being honest with herself, she wouldn’t have minded spending the rest of eternity in Asami’s arms. She was interrupted, however, by her own name. 

“K-Korra.” 

“Hmmm?” She could feel Asami’s chest heaving beneath her lips. 

“I… I-” The arms around her torso pulled away, leaving her cold. “S-stop. I… I don’t…” Korra pushed herself up so she could see the girl’s face. Asami’s lips were pulled taut; her eyes dark. A moment of high tension passed before she seemed able to find the words she was looking for. “I w-want… I…” She gulped. “Please kiss me.”

She did. 

* * *

Asami’s hands slid down her hips at a pace that Korra could only think to describe as  _ frustrating.  _ Teasing. Tantalizing, perhaps (though that was a bit dorky, even by Korra’s standards). The girl’s hands grazed at the skin of Korra’s lower back - sneaking subtly beneath the hem of her shirt to trace soft lines upward. She shifted, allowing the fabric to ride up over her stomach as the fingers traced patterns between her shoulder blades. As harmless as it was, she couldn’t seem to make out the shapes that were being outlined. Unless they weren’t shapes. Then they would have to be something inspired, or maybe even random.  _ Random.  _ Like jagged cuts outlining fragments of a broken mirror. 

She felt a wave of nausea overcome her and was about to pull away when her head was forced back away from the girl’s. “Hey! Wha-” she was cut off as she realized it wasn’t their doing - the plane was quaking around them. “ _ Oh no _ .” She started scrambling to stand up as she felt a flash of heat rush down her spine. “ _ No no no no.”  _

“Korra!” 

The plane jolted beneath her and, before she quite understood it, she was on the floor. Her heart pounded in her chest - blood rushing behind her ears as another wave of nausea hit her with unrelenting force.  _ Not again. Fuck, not again. I can’t - I  _ can’t _ …. _

“Korra, stop! It’s okay!” 

She shook her head, pulling her knees to her chest as the world spun faster. “It’s bad.” 

“It was just some turbulence. We’re okay.” 

Her fingers were buzzing - a similar static clouding the edges of her vision.  _ We’re going to die.  _ Or worse. She watched the funk obscuring the seats in front of her listlessly and waited for the impact. For the pain. For something. 

“Korra?” There was a pressure on her shoulder. “What can you see?”

She swallowed. “White. Grey.” The plane had a lot of grey tones. “Um. Black.” The seats were black. “Red.” Asami was in front of her - vividly red sweater standing out quite clearly. “Green.” 

“Awesome.” She shivered as she was overtaken by a wave of cold - all the life drained right out of her. “What can you feel?” 

“Cold.” She wanted to shrink into herself. “Hard. The… the floor is hard.”

“What else.” She was vaguely aware as Asami shifted. 

“My shirt.” That was a really lame one. “And, uh.” She stared at her knees, blinking a few times as she tried to process what she was seeing. “Your hand.” Asami had rested her hand on Korra’s knee . The spot she held was warm and grounding. “My legs.”

“Good.” The girl seemed to relax. “What can you hear?” 

“Your voice.” Asami chuckled, though Korra didn’t quite share the sentiment. She focused on the environment around her. “The plane.” That sent her heart rushing again as she thought about the plane. 

“What about the plane?”

Korra tried to focus. “The engine.” 

Asami nodded. “The engine is running. It sounds good, too. Not too loud. Not too weak. I helped design this plane, and I personally checked it before our trip. I would never let you get in a vehicle that I didn’t believe was safe.” 

_ Yes.  _ Spirits, she remembered. It had taken years for her to trust drivers - she still didn’t, rightfully - but she trusted Asami. She was the one that had gotten her over her fear of cars in the first place - who had taught her how to drive in the last few years. The one who had personally designed Korra’s own car (not that she used it often, but the technology was amazing. It made grocery shopping much easier, especially when she had to buy bulk dog food). 

“Korra? Do you trust me?”

She blinked again, taking a moment to fully register Asami’s face as the details emerged with increasing clarity. She was smiling, but she wasn’t happy. Her lips pursed as she waited patiently for Korra to answer. 

“Y-yes.” She said the word with a sigh, letting out a breath she’d been unconsciously holding. “The plane is okay. And I’m okay.” 

“You’re okay,” Asami confirmed again. The girl’s features visibly relaxed - her eyes glowed. “I’m sorry. I think it caught us both off guard. But the pilot said it should be over and that we’ll be arriving shortly. Do you want some cold water?” Korra nodded as her friend stood up. She made a move towards the front of the plane but paused. Oh, um… do you… do you want me to help you off the floor? Or are you comfortable down there….” 

Korra glanced down at the (presumably) disgusting floor. “I’ve got it,” she muttered sheepishly. Asami shot her a soft smile that she couldn’t help return. “Thank you.” 

“No prob, Bob.” 

* * *

By the time Asami returned, Korra had gotten up and buckled herself into her chair. She gratefully accepted the bottle and took a long drink, mostly letting the cool liquid rest against her lips as the taste slowly graced her tongue (she remembered Katara telling her many years ago that cold water was very beneficial for panic attacks - she hadn’t listened at the time, but the tip had stuck with her). “Feeling better?” Asami’s question was clearly rhetorical, but Korra nodded anyway. 

“Yeah, sorry.” 

Asami’s brow furrowed. “Why are you sorry?” 

Korra started tearing at the label on the bottle. “I mean, we were…. Um… I don’t know. I just feel bad for freaking out on you.” 

She snorted. “Physically, I guess it was on me. But it’s okay. I forgot how those things can catch you off guard. It’s not your fault. You went through something terrible and are completely valid.”

She offered Asami a smile. It was very kind of her - even if it wasn’t entirely on point.  _ I mean, she knows the cause.  _ Korra adjusted her back more comfortably into the chair.  _ Some scars are best left untouched.  _

Maybe make this better

* * *

Once the plane landed and their trip was officially over, Korra hugged Asami goodbye. “Thanks again for everything.” 

“Anytime.” The girl’s arms were reassuring over her shoulders - her waist familiar in Korra’s arms. That was something she wasn’t entirely used to, but told herself she wasn’t going to miss. “Tell me if we need to be engaged next year.” 

Korra laughed, letting her go. “You move too fast for me, Asami.” She winked, because it felt appropriate.  _ Spirits. What do you even say to a person after spending a whole week together?  _ “I’ll - uh - text you when I get home. I can’t  _ wait  _ to see my couch again.” 

“Me neither.” Asami was glancing towards the parking lot over Korra’s shoulders.  _ Probably for her car.  _ She always was very protective of her machinery… 

Welp. She was sure Tenzin was waiting for her somewhere. She opened her mouth for a real goodbye when she realized Asami was now staring at her. “Uh, y-yes? Is there something on my face?” They’d indulged in some sweets near the end of the flight. She wiped her cheeks for good measure. 

“Oh, no.” Asami’s gaze immediately softened and she giggled. “I was just… I don’t know. I’m sorry. It’s stupid.” 

Korra snorted. “I’m pretty sure nothing you’ve said in your entire life has been stupid. You probably came out of the womb with a wrench and a model car.” 

“Probably.” She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ears. “I guess I just wanted to thank you for inviting me. I had a lot of fun with you and your family. I’m glad it wasn’t too weird for you - what with you being straight and all.” 

Korra frowned and glanced at her suitcase. She had kinda wanted to bring that up but no time had really seemed right. “I mean, y’know. Everyone has to experiment at some point, right?” She offered a very stiff laugh that was not returned. “And sexuality is fluid, right? At least I’ve always thought so.”

“It is,” Asami agreed timidly. “I realized I wasn’t straight during a game of Spin the Bottle. It landed on this girl I was close with… I never quite connected the dots. I had been totally crushing on her without even realizing.” She met Korra’s gaze. “I’m sure I’ve mentioned her before? My best friend through middle school?” 

“Maybe in passing.” Korra’s stomach flipped a little - probably a bit of leftover anxiety from the flight. “Well, I’m glad that she’s not here now, otherwise I wouldn’t be your best friend.” She pushed her way through a toothy smile and Asami laughed. 

“I suppose you’re right.” As stiff as the conversation had felt up to this point, there was something about the way Asami said that that made Korra melt. It was that genuine glow in her expression - it was the way she looked at her; as if she was lucky to be her friend.  _ Spirits, I’m the lucky one.  _ She cherished her friendship with Asami. 

“Korra.” 

“Yes?” 

“I-”

A blasting horn interrupted her. When they turned, Korra recognized Tenzin’s minivan pulling to a careful stop on the edge of the road. Even from several feet away, she could see an exhausted Tenzin, dead panning the windshield as Meelo sat on his lap. He was slapping the horn as Jinora tried to stop him from the passenger seat. When she finally got him off their father, Korra could make out the barking of Naga from the backseat. “Oh, that’s my ride!” she exclaimed, looking back to Asami. “What were you saying?” 

“Nothing!” Asami was frozen - deer in the headlights. “Drive safe. I love you.” 

“Love you too!” 

With a final wave she ran off to the car where her favorite found family and loyal dog waited. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The vacation is over - the ploy is done. Things can finally go back to the way they were between Korra and Asami. All is well. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 39ish of quarantine. Originally my work was supposed to open again this week. However, non-essential businesses have been pushed back to the end of May. Personally, I'm quite at peace with this. I always wondered how long it would take to get me to prioritize cleaning... guess the answer is over five weeks. Yeet. 
> 
> I'm about to start Chapter 17. 16 gave me some heartache these last couple of weeks, but I'm quite satisfied with the end. Going to get a couple of my friends to tear it apart and make it something worth reading. 
> 
> This fic has turned out better than I could have expected, much to the thanks of my amazing friends (like Swede) and awesome readers, who have been more than kind with their comments and love. Thank you for enjoying this silly little thing. And here's to the next month. Stay safe.
> 
> EDIT: Same night edit cause I just wanted to say that, due to the pandemic and the rise of people reading fic, I am more than happy to take short writing prompts over on my tumblr. So if you have a short story/drabble or whatever you want to see brought to life, visit my tumblr: ashleopardd . Basically the same user name with an extra D...... funny... cause I'm a lesbian

The following week was uneventful. 

Returning home was a welcome relief. She spent the first day on the sofa with Naga, watching Netflix. When dinner came around, she ordered a pizza and was forced to actually get up to answer the door. After feeding Naga (and giving her a few extra pats for good measure), she returned to the couch with phone and pizza in hand, ready to crush another season of  _ Parks and Recreation,  _ when she saw that the group chat was active. 

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** I heard you  _ lovers  _ are back in town! its been too long since we’ve all hung out :( when r u all freeeeeee

**wvroofwvroof:** lol bo. We just got back… give us a day. Didnt you just get home too?

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** YEAH! From the AWESOMEIST vacation ! 

**Hot_Guy_OG:** we cant all have your energy, bo. Plus, i’m sure the last thing korra and asami want to do is spend time together.

Korra’s brow furrowed as she took a giant bite of pizza.  _ Ugh. Mako being a butt again… this is why I couldn’t spend that much time with him.  _ Depending on his mood, he was better in small quantities. 

**wvroofwvroof:** Asami I have no problem with… but i think i’ve had my fill of you for the year :p

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** XD

**SamiSalami:** lol Sounds like  _ someone  _ is jealous.

**wvroofwvroof:** lol

She smiled and looked back to her meal.

**Hot_Guy_OG:** >:(

**Hot_Guy_OG:** im just saying. You spent a lot of personal time together… you two should probably just take some time to chill apart. Remember boundaries. Yknow. 

_ Fucking Mako.  _ Always thinking he’s a step ahead…  _ What a prick.  _ She nibbled on her pizza crust as the jaunty beat of the opening theme spilled through her living room.  _ I’m not even sick of Asami.  _ In fact, despite enjoying her cuddles with Naga all day, she had found her mind often wandering to her friend. If she hadn’t been absolutely exhausted, she would have texted her - seen what she was doing on her first day back.  _ I bet she’s already back to work.  _ That woman wouldn’t take an extra day off to save her life… 

She ate another piece of pizza and relaxed back into her seat. No, she and Asami would be just fine. She had no question about that.

* * *

The rest of the week passed rather slowly.

Korra went back to work, where she was actually happy to greet some of her familiar clients. They told her about their holidays - who they spent them with and all the amazing food they’d eaten. She congratulated the ones that had kept up with their exercises and teased the ones who hadn’t (she didn’t have the heart to properly scold them - holidays are rough in rehab). After work she took Naga for a walk and enjoyed the brisk air of Republic City - how it was chilly but not cold.  _ Spirits, I have softened up.  _ She would never admit it out loud. 

As she settled back into her own exercise routine, her life seemed to pick up exactly where it had left off. She even took the time at lunch to do a couple extra push-ups. This went on for a few days before anyone really mentioned it. 

“Uh… Korra?” 

She had been doing sit ups on the floor of the break room. She stopped as her coworker spoke to her. “Yeah, Zoe?” 

Zoe stared at her for a moment in silence. “I just wanted to check in and see if you’re… feeling alright.” She pulled her attention back to her salad as Korra gaped at her. 

“Good as ever. Why? Is something wrong?” 

Again, quiet. “Well, I usually try not to barge in, but it’s been hard to ignore - since it’s my job to see these things…” She was one of the counselors on staff - a job that Korra held in high regard, since the physical aspect of therapy could only do so much on it’s own. As she said that, however, Korra felt a prick of nervousness in her stomach. “You’ve seemed frustrated since you came back.” 

Korra snorted.  _ She had me going there for a second!  _ “Why would I be frustrated?” she chuckled. “I’m getting back on my routines, my anxiety is under control… hell, I’ve been sleeping like a rock! Why would I…” she trailed off, shaking her head at the very thought. 

Zoe’s brow furrowed. “Well, you’ve spent the last three days excercising through lunch. You keep checking your phone. And you’ve been eating less and less.” Korra blinked at her. “Again, I understand if it’s none of my business. I’m just a bit worried.” 

“I mean, now that you mention it…” She did often focus her attention on excercise when she wanted to distract herself. “I mean, I guess… I’m a bit worried about my friend? She hasn’t texted me since we got back from vacation.” She clicked the power button on her phone again, stomach dropping as she saw her empty notification wall. 

Zoe set her fork down. “Is that normal for her?”

Korra shook her head. “Not really… Usually we chit chat a bit. Or send memes or something.” 

“Have you texted her?”

“No,” she admitted.

“Well, maybe that’s part of the problem.” Zoe looked a little too satisfied with herself. “Just text her and see what she says. I’m sure she wants to talk to you as well but has just gotten swept up in the post-Holiday business.” 

“Yeah, that makes sense.” She cast another glance at her phone. “I think I’ll do that tonight.” 

Zoe smiled, though it did little to settle Korra’s nerves. Why was she all tied up over this?  _ It doesn’t matter,  _ she decided as she took a seat and picked at her food.  _ Because we are fine and things will be back to normal in no time. _

* * *

That night, Korra texted Asami a meme. Nothing to fancy - just a screenshot from twitter. She then took Naga for her nightly walk, fixed herself some dinner, did a few jumping jacks while she waited for the microwave to finish, and settled in to continue her  _ Parks and Rec  _ marathon. When Asami still hadn’t responded, she found herself trying to swallow her anxiety.  _ She’s probably busy,  _ she reminded herself.  _ She’ll text me back when she has time. _

* * *

A few hours became a day; and then one day became two. Korra was restless. She was running on fumes (quite literally). For that particular day she had already taken Naga for a morning jog. The dog seemed more than happy for an evening workout as well, though also a bit worried as she cast curious glances at her exhausted owner. Not paying any particular heed to her surroundings, Korra found herself on the complete opposite side of town - near the police station. “Ah, for fucks sake.” She checked the parking lot, mind wandering to a certain detective.  _ Maybe he can tell me if she’s alive. _ “Naga, stay.” 

The polar bear dog sat obediently. 

“Good girl. I’ll be right back.” 

It was a bit later in the evening. Much to her luck, the station didn’t seem particularly busy. Even better, she realized, the lights in Mako’s office were still on.  _ Always the over achiever.  _ She stomped down the hall and, not even sparing a look in the office beforehand, slammed the door shut. 

“Mako!” 

Her friend looked up - first alarmed and then annoyed. “Uh, Korra? To what do I owe the…” he seemed to look over her as his expression softened. “...pleasure - why do you look like a body just dragged out of the bay?” 

She sat in the seat across the desk from him. “Have you spoken to Asami in the last few days?” 

His weird shark-brows furrowed. “Just a few times. Why do you ask?” 

“Because she has been ignoring me!” Korra brandished her phone, showing him the several memes she had sent their friend. “What the hell is this about?” 

His frown deepened. “Wait, are you implying that this is my fault?” 

“Obviously!” She threw her hands up as she said it. “Everything was fine between us! Until you just had to  _ butt  _ your way in with all your talk about how it’s  _ ‘weird’  _ and we need  _ ‘space’ _ .”

Mako sighed and pinched his brow. “Korra, I don’t know what epiphany you think you’re having, but it’s wrong. Sure, maybe you feel this way, but have you considered Asami? Maybe she needs some time to herself now. Have you even thought how weird this whole thing must’ve been for her?”

The fire that had been fueling Korra’s run seemed to be extinguishing. She slumped her shoulders, looking down at her lap as she considered his words. “No, but…” She ran a hand through her hair. “She didn’t seem bothered while we were in the south. We had a blast! But now I guess she’s doing her thing and I… I miss her.” 

The silence that followed that statement was palpable. 

“Miss her… how?” Mako’s question was confusing in the least. 

“Spirits, Mako. Have you never missed someone before?” 

He gave her a stony glare. “Of course I have! I just meant like… what do you miss about her?” 

She still thought that was a stupid question. Instead of bitching about it, though, she decided to put some thought into an answer. “Uh, well. I guess I miss talking to her. And joking with her.” Those two covered a wide span of situations, but as she continued her focus narrowed to what she really wanted. “I miss her smile. And her laugh. Her eyes when we look at each other.” Just the memory seemed to take a weight off her chest. “I don’t know, that’s kinda stupid. I just… I wish she was around. Now that I’m back home alone, I… I never realized how much having another person around could make things a little nicer.” 

Mako had his hands clasped on his desk in front of him. “I don’t know what to tell you, Korra,” he sighed. “But is there a chance that you’re… uh…” His cheeks glowed and he shifted in his seat. “Y’know…” 

She stared at him. “Mako, your words. I really, honestly don’t know.” 

His frown seemed to deepen. “Gay?”

_ Oh.  _

“I mean, yeah…” She hadn’t expected to be having this conversation with him. “Turns out that if you enjoy kissing girls, you might - uh… you might just be a little bit gay.” 

He nodded. “That would make sense.” He glanced around the office - as if to make sure they were truly alone - before leaning closer to Korra. “Listen. I don’t have a lot of experience with questioning sexuality. But I have dated a couple girls in my day. And sure, some of them were cool.” He motioned to Korra and she nodded, acknowledging that she was definitely pretty far up on the cool list. “But a kiss is just a kiss without a connection, if you know what i mean.”

The words played through her head for a few moments as she tried to absorb meaning from them. “Still lost here,” she sighed. 

He grumbled a bit. “Well… you can kiss a person and that is just fine. But it’s when you really - er -  _ care  _ about someone - that’s when a kiss really means something. Now, it’s a bit complicated, since I’m sure you two were pretty tame, all considering-”

Korra froze. “Well…”

Mako blinked at her. “What do you mean, ‘well’?”

She scratched the back of her neck, gaze fixed strictly on the wall. “If we are being completely honest there may have been some - uh - m-making out involved.” 

When she finally gained the courage to look back to Mako, his jaw was practically on his desk. “Wait you - you  _ what?  _ Some?!?! As in - as in more than once?” 

She could feel herself blushing.  _ I would rather have this conversation with my parents than with Mako.  _ “I mean, yeah. Probably just…” she started counting on her fingers as Mako stared at her. “Five times? Unless you mean tongue in which case that would be like… three maybe? Four? I lost track.” 

“Korra…” He pinched his brow - face taking on that constipated look it did when he was frustrated. “That’s… that’s not normal. That’s really not normal.” 

Korra crossed her arms. “So?”

He threw his hands in the air. “So maybe you should pull your stupid gay head out of your dumb gay ass and realize you  _ might  _ be into Asami!”

Korra opened her mouth, ready to defend herself, but the words didn’t come. She looked for a single excuse -  _ any  _ \- but her mind remained blank. “I mean, sure. Asami is hot. And gorgeous. And anyone would be lucky to have her. But if I were gay for her…” Her mind reeled once again. “I would know! I’d be, like, scribbling  _ Mrs. Korra Sato  _ into my journals, right?” She didn’t entirely mind how that sounded. “Or find myself unable to sleep at night because I can’t stop thinking about her.” Sure, the last few nights had been rough, but she was worried. “Or daydreaming about her lips.”  _ Raava…  _ she could still remember them if she thought about it. 

Oh. 

_ Oh no.  _

Mako relaxed back in his seat - not victorious, as he probably should have been, but tired. “We’re not kids anymore, Kor. We don’t just fantasize about romance and rainbows. We’re adults.” His brow creased and Korra noted, jokingly, that he’d always been an adult. “We think about the people we care about. The people we want around. The people we want to face life with. Now, I’m far from an expert in love, but if there’s a part of you that thinks… that thinks that Asami could be any of those things for you…” He let the sentence die off for a moment. “I think this is a conversation you should be having with Asami.”

“I guess so.” She rubbed her shoulder, now feeling quite awkward for dragging Mako into this ridiculous situation. “Well, uh. I think I have some thinking to do. Thanks for… talking to me.” She stood and made to leave. Before she could, Mako spoke. 

“Hey, Korra?”

“Yeah?”

He looked very worried. “I.. I’m not turning women gay, am I?” 

* * *

“You look awful, bro. Did you eat dinner? This is late, even for you.” 

“I’m fine, Bo. Just… got a new case today. But I was interrupted as I was trying to organize the details.” 

“Was it the new assistant again? The one with the weird bracelet?”

“No, no he’s been avoiding me since last week. Actually, I got a surprise visit from Korra.” 

“KORRA!” 

“No need to shout! Yes. She stopped by.” 

“Did you say anything about-”

“ _ No!  _ Asami told me that in confidence and, unlike you, I don’t just walk around blabbing private information!” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,  _ Mr. Confidante.  _ Now answer this riddle: If you’re so good at keeping secrets, then how come it took you two seconds to tell me that Asami has a crush on Korra?” 

“Because  _ somebody  _ doesn’t know how to keep his nosy butt out of my business!” 

“Hey, it’s not my fault that your phone isn’t password protected. Anyway stop dodging and tell me what happened with Korra!” 

“Nothing happened! She just came to talk and yell at me. She’s upset because…” 

“.... _ because…. _ ”

“...because Asami has been ignoring her.” 

“But that’s what you told Asami to do. You said to take some time and distance herself until she has a better grasp on her feelings.” 

“I know what I said. I just… wasn’t counting on Korra to respond like this.” 

“Like what?” 

“She was really upset. Kept talking about how she missed her. So I told her to consider how Asami might be feeling and tried to nudge her in the right direction.” 

“...and?” 

“And… I might’ve made a mistake.”

“Ha! That’s a first!” 

“This is serious, Bo. I think… I think maybe telling Asami to distance herself was a bad idea. But what am I supposed to say now? ‘Nevermind! Ask if she’s into you!’ That would be shady as hell.” 

“Wait.” 

“Huh?”

“...why would you suggest to Asami that Korra is into her…”

“..........cause… that’s what you’re supposed to do when a person has a crush.” 

“Unless… Oh. My.  _ STARS!  _ Korra is into  _ Asami?!?!”  _

“No! I didn’t say that!” 

“You implied it!”

“No, I didn’t! I - I - FUCK. I didn’t tell you that, you figured it out, okay? They are totally into each other. And I am, officially, the weirdest third wheel of history.” 

“Oh my gosh do you think they’re in love? Do you think they’ve been pining over each other for years?” 

“Well, Korra just realized she was gay five minutes ago, so I’m gonna go on a limb and say no.” 

“Spirits, Mako. You know what this means, right?”

“Uh, no…”

“WE NEED TO SET THEM UP! Get our girls  _ together!  _ There’s no time to waste!”

“It’s not really any of our business, Bo-” 

“EVERY MINUTE THAT PASSES IS ANOTHER MINUTE THEY ARE SAD AND ALONE WHEN THEY COULD BE HAPPY AND TOGETHER!” 

“No! I can’t admit to both of them that I couldn’t keep their secrets! I want to be a better friend than that.” 

“You cheated on both of them with the other like five years ago, dude. I think you already crossed that line.”

“Hey…”

“So stop whining and let’s start plotting!” 

“Okay, fine. But we need to keep this within reason. And we can’t push them. This is a very delicate situation.” 

“Delicate my ass! I’m going to be their best man of honor!” 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long, somewhat confounding week for Korra, Bolin offers to help drown her sorrows in food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 44ish of quarantine. In a surprising turn of events, I've become very productive. Been considering writing/(trying to) draw a Steven Universe Gravity Falls AU, because the concept has stolen my heart. Anyway
> 
> This chapter was a BITCH. I had to rewrite it a couple of times before it finally felt right. Anyway, it's not too bad now so... enjoy! :)

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** hey korra

Korra narrowed her eyes as she saw the notification. Bolin was usually recklessly straightforward. Whatever this was about, she didn’t trust it. 

**wvroofwvroof:** wassup bo

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** mako told me you stopped by the station last night and seemed upset. just wanted to see how your doing :p

_ Of course he did.  _ Sometimes it felt like Mako didn’t understand boundaries. Then again, she knew Bolin to be fairly nosy. She sighed and settled further into her seat on the couch, pulling the blanket up to her chin. 

**wvroofwvroof:** i’m fine. just needed to get some stuff off my chest. Thanks for checking <3

She set the phone on her chest and turned her attention back to her television. For the last week, she’d been drowning her sorrows in  _ Parks and Rec.  _ Now, however, it seemed that the show had turned on her. Season 4 brought with it multitudes of stress and drama as Ben and Leslie cut off their relationship for the sake of their careers. Typically, fictional break ups didn’t bother Korra too much. What bothered her was… everything that came after. 

When Leslie kept trying to act like everything was normal. When Ben was blatantly uncomfortable about it. When they tried to be friends, only for it to collapse as Ben was overwhelmed by Leslie’s self-proclaimed steam rolling tendencies.  _ Maybe this is a little too personal for me right now.  _ Even though it was literally in no way similar to her own life.  _ Ha, we never dated! And no way we’ve been pining for each other for half a season.  _ That only happened in fiction. 

As she was winding her way through the smallest park episode, her ringtone went off.

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** do you want to get dinner tonight? My treat ;) 

She considered his offer.  _ Moping on the couch isn’t going to do anything for me.  _ Besides, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d hung out with Bolin. 

**wvroofwvroof:** Sure. would be nice to spend some time with you :) what were u thinkin? 

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** Hmmmmmm….. How about kwongs? 

Korra frowned. 

**wvroofwvroof:** are u sure? They’re pretty expensive… plus don’t you need a reservation for that place? 

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** just leave it to me, kor. I’m gonna treat my favorite girl right :*

**wvroofwvroof:** lol dont let opal hear u talkin like that or she might be jealous 

**THEHOTTERGUY6969:** opal knows whats up. Just because she has a premium subscription doesn’t mean there’s not enough to go around

Korra wasn’t entirely sure that metaphor made sense, but it did get a chuckle out of her. 

**wvroofwvroof:** ok i’ll see you tonight. 

* * *

Bolin stopped by early. While Korra was perfectly capable of dressing herself and really didn’t need his guidance, he kept insisting he help her with her outfit. 

“Nothing makes me feel better than knowing I’m hot shit,” he explained as he tossed aside one of her casual dresses. “By the time we get to Kwong’s, we are gonna knock the boots off of everyone in a thirty foot radius!”

“If you insist…” She had to admit, it was a little fun. She felt fancy as she tied the majority of her hair back into a bun, leaving some down on the sides that were too short to fit neatly.  _ Ha, almost like the hair I had when I was a teen.  _ She smiled and was almost surprised to see her mirror return the sentiment.  _ I guess there’s still hope for me yet.  _

“Oh, Korra!” her friend gasped. She turned around to see him holding one of her best dresses - an ankle-length, dark blue one - definitely a top pick, considering the circumstances. While the neckline came up and past her collarbone, the shoulders of the dress were exposed. The front torso was covered in intricately set beads - patterns familiar to those that would be found back in the south. The beads cut off at the waist, leading into a long, flowing skirt. 

“That’s a good one,” she commented as she turned back to her mirror. “I can’t remember the last time I wore it… there’s a good chance Opal just peer pressured me into it one day.” She had had no proper reason to wear the dress as long as she could remember… honestly the only reason she’d kept it was because she knew it looked bomb on her. “Think we should give it a spin?”

“Uh, yeah!” Bolin tossed the dress onto her bed, a large smile conquering his face. “Hurry up, let’s go! I’m so ready to get my hands on some Octopus Fritters!” 

* * *

The entire day had been dark and gloomy. No exception was made for Korra and Bolin as they ran out to the parking lot of the apartment building, trying to dodge the raindrops that threatened to ruin their fancy facade. They managed to reach Bolin’s car and each hopped in, giggling breathlessly at their luck. 

“We made it,” he panted. 

“Of course we did!” She elbowed him. “You didn’t have to sprint like that. We would’ve been fine, y’know.” 

“Yeah, but you worked so hard on your hair,” he pouted. “Besides, you didn’t have to follow my lead.”

Korra shook her head. “I don’t know, Bo. When a person starts running away at top speed, something tells me I should probably be following them. Call it what you will, but it just made sense.” 

He stroked his chin. “I’d call that: Evolution!” 

They laughed. 

“Ok, smartass. Let’s just hope it’s not pouring at the restaurant.” 

* * *

Much to their luck, it wasn’t. 

“Laaadies first!” 

Bolin rushed around the car to get the door for Korra. “Uh, thanks?” She frowned. In the five minutes it had taken to drive to the restaurant, things had gone from polite to… weird. And not normal Bolin weird. “You know I can open doors, right?” 

He sputtered. “Why, of course! But I refuse to provide less than the  _ best  _ for my faaavorite Korra!” 

_ Favorite Korra? I sure hope so…  _ She hopped out of the car. “Bo, what’s going on?” 

“Wha- nothing! Why would you - why would I ever-” He cut off with awkward laughter as he threw an arm over her shoulders and started literally leading her towards the restaurant. “I’m just so psyched to have a casual dinner with my friend!” 

“Bolin… seriously.” She stopped walking and set him with a cold, hard stare. “You’re starting to creep me out.” 

“Ugh okay, fine.” His face dropped and he removed himself from her as he continued to approach the door. “Me and Mako  _ maaay  _ have set up a little surprise for you, but please just trust me on this!” He shushed her before she could even start to ask. “That’s all! Nothing more from me!” 

“‘Little surprise’?” She doubted that. Bolin’s ‘little surprises’ were usually much… larger.  _ He said he wanted to cheer me up… it can’t be anything that bad, right?  _ She started again towards the entrance, making sure to get the door for herself. “That’s up for debate. But you haven’t let me down yet, so I’ll trust you.” 

“Great!” He jumped through the door behind her, his energy overwhelming compared to the vibe of the restaurant. “You  _ so  _ won’t be disappointed! It’s gonna be great!” 

She was skeptical. 

The front area of the restaurant was filled with chairs for people to wait in. Had Bolin been able to keep his mouth shut for two more seconds, Korra may have been surprised to see Mako occupying one of the chairs. He frowned as they approached - eyes narrowing on his brother. “So he got you this far.” 

“I mean, it wasn’t really hard...” She shook her head. “Can you tell me why I’m here, if not to have dinner with my friends?” She directed the question at Mako, who suddenly averted his gaze. “I’m starting to worry. I know I already agreed to this, but if we are doing a group thing, I might just prefer to duck out. I’m not really in a-” 

And that was when she saw her.

A week ago, Korra wouldn’t have believed it was possible for Asami to be more beautiful than she naturally was. As the girl turned the corner, however, Korra found herself to be poorly mistaken. Her makeup was perfect, of course, though the dress she was wearing was new to Korra. Red with a black stripe around the waist and a black flower-shaped bow on the left side of the chest. The neckline was proper and swooped only low enough to show the woman’s collar bones. 

For what felt like a long moment, Korra was caught off guard as the person she’d been thinking about all week suddenly appeared before her - like a siren to a downtrodden sailor. Or a mirage to a thirsty traveler, traversing the deadly and mysterious Si Wong desert-

“Thanks for waiting.” For a brief moment Korra’s heart pounded as she wondered what Asami could mean by that, only for the feeling to sour as she realized her friend was speaking to Mako. “I’m so glad you invited me out. I’ve…” Her words trailed off as she noticed their other two friends, eyes only daring to glance at Korra. “Uh, Mako?” 

“Don’t worry, it’s not a group thing.” Mako looked at Korra as he spoke. He rose from his chair and approached the hostess. “These ladies have a reservation and are ready for their table. Sato for two.” Not even waiting for the woman to confirm, he turned back to them. “You guys have some stuff to talk about. We’re gonna head out. Um.” He glanced awkwardly to the floor, as if he had run out of scripted lines. 

“Have fun!” Bolin was the polar opposite of his brother - virtually bouncing out of his skin as he grabbed Mako by the arm and started dragging him to the door. “Be safe! I mean, you don’t really have much to worry about - but I suppose it could be more of an emotional sort of thing - did I mention you both look lovely? Text us later!” His voice finally faded as the doors of the restaurant shut behind him. 

Korra stared after them, almost afraid to turn around. “Uh.” 

“You can say that again.” 

And suddenly she was staring at Asami - perfect, beautiful, amazing Asami - who looked just as confused and nervous as Korra felt. “Do… do you know what just happened?” 

Her friend shook her head, lips pursed. “I really, really don’t. I-”

“Sato for two?” Both women were interrupted by the hostess as she stared at them expectantly. 

“I guess that will be us.” Asami cast a shaky smile to Korra. “Uh. Dinner, then?” 

The hostess was already walking away, leading them… somewhere. She gulped. “I guess so.” 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now trapped together in a romantic restaurant, will the girls finally talk about their feelings?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this bad boy is hot and fresh off the press... just finished her up a few minutes ago. Haha. That's how it's done. We're on Day 51 of quarantine here. Deep cleaned the kitchen and waiting on some new foster kittens. Life is wild fam. 
> 
> Once again, thank you for all the love you've shared with me and this story. Quarantine might suck but y'know. I always tell people I've been able to regularly update my fanfiction. Which is a little sad but also a pretty sweet achievement as far as I'm concerned. 
> 
> Stay safe out there.

Korra was trying to look at anything  _ except  _ Asami.

At first she’d held hope that the hostess would lead them to a casual table for a normal, fancy meal. However, much to the misfortune of both girls, their reservation was for one of the private,  _ intimate  _ tables on the upper floor; complete with heart-shaped booths for them to sit in. Scooting into the seat was awkward enough; she couldn’t even bring herself to meet Asami’s gaze. 

Her glass of water received a lot of attention during the first five minutes of their meal. Then a slice of bread. She thoroughly exhausted her menu before deciding on what to eat and even took a second look over the appetizers. “So..” she said after several minutes of prolonged silence. “Do you - uh - want any of these starters or. Just gonna wait for the meal…” 

“The portion sizes here are on the small-size. I suppose we could splurge for a little something extra.” Asami’s voice was soft but formal. 

“I should hope so. Since Bolin told me he was paying.” 

Asami chuckled - the sound rushed over Korra in a wave of relief. “Mako said the same thing. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if they hold their end of the deal.” 

“They’d better _. _ ” She muttered the last thought as she needlessly reread the page. “What about the…” she squinted, “‘Honey-Mint Lamb Skewers’? What even is that?” 

“Sounds good whatever it is.” The sound of table meeting menu came from her left side. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Great.” Again, she had already decided - she just didn’t want to face the awkwardness that was going to be this dinner.  _ Once I spend all his money, I’m going to kill Bolin. And Mako.  _ Especially Mako.  _ If they think we are just going to resolve our problems because they’re forcing us together, they’re dead wrong. We will resolve our problems on our own time!  _ Besides, it wasn’t even Korra’s problems - it was Asami’s! And Mako had  _ told  _ her that she should give Asami some space!  _ Wait so why did he set this up? This makes no sense.  _

The waiter eventually showed up and forced Korra to relay her order. With heavy hands she relinquished her menu. “Thank you,” she lied. 

“You are most welcome,” the waiter responded around his very small mustache. “And we will be right back with your drinks.” 

And then… nothing. There were no more excuses for them to not talk to each other. Even having killed fifteen minutes, the remainder of the dinner faced them with overwhelming expectations.  _ I’m never meeting with Bolin ever again.  _

“How have you been?” 

The question took Korra off guard. When she dared a glance, Asami was looking at her; back straight, shoulders relaxed, eyes soft. Had she not been purposefully ignored all week, Korra would have enjoyed settling into this conversation. 

“Fine.” She nodded. “Back to work. Nice to see my coworkers. Been exercising a lot with Naga. Just… back to the norm, y’know?” 

Asami also nodded. “I hear you. I’ve never been away from work so long. I went in for a few days and took care of business. Spent a few days at home working in the garage.” 

Korra’s brow furrowed. “Yeah? What have you been making?” What had kept her away from work after a whole week of vacation?

“Oh, nothing too fancy. I’ve just been tweaking the engine on  _ Serenity _ . She needed some upgrades and then I just kept looking for things to adjust.” 

_ That old thing?  _ That car was at least half the age of Asami - since it was the first car she and her father made together. “You’ve been talking about getting to that for ages,” Korra remembered. “Nice that you finally made time for it.” 

“Yeah.” 

A pause.  _ Fucking hell. I hate this.  _ She couldn’t stand just sitting here like this - skin crawling. What were they waiting for? The end of the world?

“Why have you been ignoring my texts?” 

Asami, who had been sipping her water, choked. She attempted to regain composure by setting the glass down gingerly and dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “I’m… not sure.” Her gaze was fixed intently on the vase filled with flowers that adorned their table. “It’s just that I have been getting back on track with work. And catching up with Mako and Bolin. I suppose I’ve been busy.” 

Korra looked down to her lap. “I see.” She didn’t believe that, especially as Asami remained silent. “I mean, I thought I sent some quality memes. But I guess I understand if you haven’t had time for them.”  _ Or me.  _

Painful tension filled the air. Korra waited for her to respond - to say anything - when they were interrupted by her ringtone.  _ Now what?  _ “Sorry…” she pulled it out of her pocket to silence the notifications when she realized her parents were calling her.  _ Shit.  _ “It’s my parents. I should really take this.” Asami made a vague ‘go ahead’ motion and Korra answered the call. 

Almost immediately the faces of her parents appeared on her screen. “Korra!” her mother exclaimed. “Hello! Korra can you see us?!” 

“Yes. Hi, Mom. Dad.” She smiled vaguely for the camera. “I see you finally got the hang of video calls?” 

Half of her father’s face popped into view. “Yes, we have! With this fancy tablet Asami gave us, we can do tons of stuff!” She glanced at the girl who, in turn, refused to meet her gaze. 

“Where are you?” her mother asked. “It looks fancy! Oh, is Asami there?” She gasped. “Is it date night?!” 

“Uh… Asami’s here.” She very cautiously angled the phone for her parents to see. Asami’s face lit up and she waved for the camera. “Yeah, we’re at dinner right now. Do you need anything?” 

“Nothing but your beautiful faces!” her mom trilled. “You two both look so good - all dressed up and fancy. I’m so happy to see you both out and having fun!”  _ That’s one word for it,  _ Korra sulked. “Please send us photos! Oh - photos! Tonraq!” There was a bit of shuffling and suddenly her father’s forehead obscured the screen. 

“Your mom is getting the cord,” he explained. “We need to send you the pictures.” 

“The pictures? What pictures?” 

“Your vacation pictures!” He pulled the camera back so they could see a large smile. “We got them developed. So cute! We framed a few for the living room. But we will send some for you two to see!” 

“Oh, sounds great.” It was almost the last thing she wanted. Then again, she’d already been roped into the rest of this. 

“Okay, your mother is back.” He handed off the phone. 

“Korra?”

“I’m here, Mom.”

“Korra! I’ve got the computer up and am going to send you the pictures. But we’ll let you get back to your date.” Suddenly the screen showed the ceiling of her parent’s home. “Can you see them?” 

“Uh… no?” She frowned. “Wait, hold on. Okay, yeah.” A notification appeared at the very top of her screen. “Yes, we’re getting them. Thank you, Mom.” 

“You’re welcome, sweetie! Alright we’re going to go. Enjoy your date!!!”

“We love you!” 

Korra mustered a final smile. “Love you too. Take care.” With a sense of relief, she ended the call. “Spirits I was worried that was going to take a while.” She set her phone on the table and rested her head in her hands.

There were several beats of silence - filled only by the faint sounds of far-off chatter. When she didn’t expect anything could break it, Asami spoke. 

“Well… do you wanna look at the pictures?” 

Korra moodily flipped a few stray strands of hair out of her face as she let herself look at her friend. “I mean, I guess we can.” She sat up and unlocked her phone. “Looks like Mom emailed them.” She tapped the notification.  _ Maybe it’ll lighten the mood.  _ As they were now, she would need a lot more alcohol before she could do that herself. 

She angled the phone toward Asami as the email loaded. Asami scooted closer - enough so that their arms could almost touch. As the first picture appeared on her screen, Korra couldn’t help a small smile. 

Asami squinted. “Is that the meal from our first night?” 

“Yeah,” she affirmed. “Mom likes to take pictures of food. This must’ve been before we arrived. Oh!” After a few more pictures there was one of her and Asami sat at the table, eating the food. “There we are.” 

“You look happy.” 

“I mean, I hope so.” She pointed to the picture where she was slurping up a healthy dose of noodles. “Those are the best noods in the Southern Water Tribe!”

Asami snickered. “They were better than the pickled prunes, that’s for sure.” 

Korra chuckled as she scrolled through a few more pictures of the meal. “Spirits, did she save any memory for the rest of the week?” She pushed on and found photos from their day at the skating rink. 

“Oh no.” Asami covered her eyes as they found a picture of her flat on the ice. Korra tried to stifle her laughter.

“You did pretty good all considering. Raava knows how they managed to get one of the few where you actually fell.” She continued on in an attempt to save the girl’s dignity, only to stop cold when she saw the next picture. 

It was a moment she had nearly forgotten about since their vacation took off - a moment she probably would rather have not seen. They were skating very close - holding each other as if dancing; frozen in what appeared to be laughter.  _ Nope.  _ She quickly scrolled past it, checking to see if Asami had seen. 

The girl’s face emerged from her hands as Korra glanced. “Hopefully that was the worst of that.” 

_ Hopefully.  _

They continued reminiscing through the pictures as their drinks were served. Korra gratefully accepted hers, starting the night with a healthy swig before continuing the slideshow. “I can’t believe my mom took pictures for every fucking meal,” she sighed. “I’m going to starve to death at this rate.” 

“We’ll have our appetizers soon,” Asami assured her. “At least your suffering won’t be prolonged.”

The appetizers were served shortly after. Korra took a quick break to scarf down a skewer before continuing, her mouth full and belly content. “There can’t be much more,” she reasoned as they found pictures from the festival. “Oh! That band!” She beamed as she remembered the concert. “That was a lot of fun.” 

“It was.” Asami’s voice was soft. 

“I’m sure they took pictures of the lights,” Korra promised as she flipped past a few pictures of cheap beer. “Ugh, she must’ve let my dad hold the camera for this part.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Asami nodding. “There!”

It was a picture of the spirits glowing in the night sky - gracing the cold tundra with their presence. “They’re as beautiful as I remember,” Asami sighed as she flipped through a few. “Remind me to remind you to send those to me.”

“Will do. I -” 

The words got stuck in her throat as she found the next picture was not of the lights, but of Korra and Asami. They were sitting close together and just… staring at each other. Korra’s hand was on Asami’s cheek and she could almost remember the feeling that stirred deep in her chest - of what it was like to hold her. To touch her. To kiss her. 

When she was brought back to the present, Korra cast a worried glance back to her friend - apology on the tip of her tongue - when she froze. Where she had expected to find discomfort, Asami’s expression was just… sad. “A - Asami?” she stuttered, caught off guard by her own voice. 

Asami’s brow furrowed as she met Korra’s gaze. With barely a moment’s notice, her face was blank. “Yes?” 

_ I think I might have a thing for you. This week without you has been torture. I kinda wanna doodle your name in a notebook for some reason.  _ “...can you pass me another skewer?” 

She did. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While suffering through the most awkward meal of her life, Korra learns something she never would have expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guess what... ya boy's back at work. This marks my third week back at work and it's been... something. Between opening to the customers and the protests/looting taking place in the next city over, things are still high key unstable. Very much missing all my writing and video game time... 
> 
> On a brighter note, I started watching She-Ra. Finished Season 4. Ya'll... shit is super gay. Putting off watching season 5 so I can really enjoy it. I so very much want to write Catadora fic....
> 
> Anyway, things are rough. Stay safe. Wear heat resistant gloves and stay hydrated. I'll see you all in the next chapter... hopefully soon cause I kinda left you guys a rough one here ;)

Much to Korra’s dismay, things only seemed to go downhill from there. 

The main course was served with a side of awkward silence. Despite having not eaten all day, she found herself forcing down the (albeit delicious) food. “Man, that lamb really… filled us up, huh?” she noted sheepishly. They had each eaten barely half of their meals. 

“It was good,” Asami agreed, seemingly disheartened. “I think I’ll save mine for tomorrow.” 

“Yeah.” Korra fiddled with the tablecloth as her heart pounded unsteadily in her throat.  _ Just… tell her.  _ As the seconds ticked by - each slower and more painful than the last - she had been trying to work up the nerve to breach the topic that she couldn’t seem to get off her mind.  _ I have to tell her, right?  _ That would solve it? Make the problem go away?  _ That’s probably why she’s been so awkward, too.  _ Korra would have facepalmed, had she not been in public.  _ She must know. Spirits, what do I do?  _

Each time she tried to say something, the words failed her. She resorted to taking a long sip of her beverage or saying something about the food.  _ I’m going to be up pissing all night.  _

After what must’ve been at least a year, a long sigh from Asami broke the silence. “I’m sorry, Korra this is all my fault.” 

_ Oh shit. Ah, Spirits. I’ve really done it this time.  _ But before she could even try to say something, Asami continued. 

“You are right. I’ve been ignoring you. I kept telling you that this -” she gestured between them “- we - were fine, but honestly, I’ve been feeling awkward and… weird.” 

Korra’s stomach was on the ground at this point. She stuttered over the words “I didn’t-” before she was interrupted. 

“No, no it’s not…” Asami shook her head, now staring dejectedly at her meal. “It’s not your fault. At all. It’s me.” Their eyes met, just for a sliver of a second. “I’ve been trying to find the right words to tell you this, but I might…” she shook her head. “No, I _ do _ have feelings for you.” 

Korra’s brow furrowed. 

“Like, romantically.” 

_ Oh.  _ If Korra had the capacity to panic, she would have.  _ Sweet! Wait, sweet?  _ She suddenly felt very sweaty and icky.  _ Wait, she likes me? No way. No…  _ But Asami’s soft green eyes were sad and earnest.  _ Holy shit. That’s great though! Cause I like her too!  _ All she had to do was say it. Even as she tried to speak, she could feel the adrenaline hitting her brain and scrambling her thoughts. 

“Asami, I… uh, you… nice…”  _ For fuck’s sake I’m hopeless.  _

“You really don’t have to say anything.” She watched in horror as her friend grabbed her clutch. “I just felt bad and didn’t want you to think I was upset with you.” Asami stood, sparing a long, pained glance to Korra as she did. Korra gaped helplessly.  _ How is this the first time I’ve ever been at a loss for words?!  _ “In fact, it’s probably the opposite.” 

Ow _. Ow.  _

Where the rest of the night had been painstaking and slow, watching Asami walk away seemed to happen in cut time. One moment she was there. The next, she was gone - leaving only the remnants of their meal to assure Korra that  _ that  _ had just happened. 

_ Wait, how am I supposed to get home? _

* * *

The gloomy day had faded into a dark evening. Even the rain, despite having fallen all day, seemed to have picked up just to mock Korra as she pulled herself into Mako’s car. She moodily clicked her seatbelt into place before crossing her arms and glaring out the window. 

A pregnant pause met her.

“So… uh… should I ask….” 

“Oh, I don’t know, should you?” She shot her friend a pointed look. “Maybe you should’ve asked  _ before  _ you thought to ditch me at a restaurant.” 

He sighed, fixing his gaze ahead as he began to drive. “If it matters, that was Bo’s idea.” Korra didn’t respond.  _ Of course. Blame it on your brother.  _ “But seriously, what happened? He was sure-” he cleared his throat. “ _ We  _ were sure that you two just needed to talk things out.”

Korra leaned her forehead against the cool window, taking in the flashing lights of the streets outside. “I thought so too. But she left before we could really talk.” Her eyes flicked to the two to-go boxes she’d set on the dashboard. “She told me…” she sighed. 

“She has feelings for you?” 

Korra’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yes, actually. How did you-” She paused as she noticed a hint of a smile on his face. “She told you!” 

“Yeah.” His eyes glowed. “And she told you. Otherwise that would’ve been awkward.” 

Korra’ brow furrowed. “If you knew, why go to all this trouble? Why not just tell me.” 

“Despite what Bolin may want, it’s none of my business, Korra.” His face settled back into it’s neutral expression. “It’s not something I should tell you.” He cast a concerned glance at her as they slowed for a stop light. “To be honest, I thought you’d be more… excited.” 

“ _ Excited? _ ” She scoffed. “We’re not kids, Mako.” Even as she looked away, she could feel his eyes burning a hole in her side. “It’s… fine. It’s whatever.” 

“Whatever? Isn’t this what you wanted?” The light turned green and the car kicked back into motion.

“I don’t know what I want.” She closed her eyes, gathering her patience.  _ If I wanted to be interrogated, I would’ve called my fucking parents.  _ “Even if I knew, it’s still not smart to go around kissing on my friends. We all know how that ends up.” The comment left a slight sting in the air that she immediately regretted. “I’m sorry.” She could remember it like it was yesterday - the sadness in his amber eyes. The emptiness he had left. For a while they had even stopped talking - right up until the accident.  _ Now I can’t imagine my life without him.  _ And she certainly couldn’t imagine her life without Asami. 

“I know things didn’t end well between us, and I really regret that.” She snuck a glance at him to find his gaze fixed firmly on the road. “But that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing something new. Especially since you both want to.” She closed her eyes tight. 

“Maybe. I don’t know. It’s not like I can just text her about this. I doubt I can even talk about it.” She felt the car rolling to a stop and heard Mako change gears.  _ Thank the Spirits.  _ She blinked her eyes open, finally prepared to sulk in silence, only to realize that her building was not waiting for her outside her door. She turned. “Mako…” 

“Listen to me, Korra.” He leaned towards her, resting a firm hand on her shoulder. “You and Asami both mean the world to me. We’ve been through a lot together, and I want you to be happy. If this -” he motioned out the window to where Asami’s apartment waited, “- is what will do that, then I think you need to pursue it for all it’s worth.” 

Korra swallowed a lump in her throat, daring a glance out the window. “I don’t know, Mako. It’s not smart to run into things. I-” The intensity of his eyes stopped her. 

“No, it’s not. But you aren’t going to get anywhere by crawling.” He pursed his lips. “Please. Go.” 

Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked between him and the building waiting for her. It was a few seconds before she realized she was actually excited. She quickly leaned over to pull him into a one-armed hug. “Thanks, Mako.” It seemed like a weight had been lifted off her chest; she exhaled a long, unsteady breath. “This means a lot to me.” 

His arm was firm around her - his hold strong. Something about it made her feel younger; back when it seemed they could take on anything. “I know.” He patted her back before pulling away, a soft smile gracing his face. “Go get her.” 

The rain was still falling as Korra made her way up to the porch. The grey clouds - once opaque - had faded to reveal the sky beneath them. Late evening light was peaking through the atmosphere, lapping gently at the puddles from the day. The scent of rain was still strong in the air, but a fresh breeze graced her face as she stood before the door. She glanced a final time back to where she knew Mako sat, still in his car.  _ Well. Here goes nothing. _

She knocked on the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Despite his rough edges, Mako might have a bit of a heart.


End file.
